Living Machines
The goal of bio-mechanical research has always been on totally artifical organs - afterall, that's where the glory is - being able to developed a completely artificial heart, or lung, or whatever other critical organ to keep us going. How about an intermediate step however? A cyborb organ if you will? Well, Univeristy of Michigan internist, David Humes, has done just that - he's managed to create a bioartificial kidney - a pastic device packed with kidney cells, that in clinical trials, is showing some promise. Read the article at MIT's Technology Review, or click here to download the PDF version.
Inner Cow
This has got to be one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen. Researchers cut holes into the sides of cows and insert an cannula, which allows access to a live animals stomach. These holes are so big, you can actually see what's going on inside -- literally, reach into the stomach of a cow. Cows stomach have millions microbes that aid in digestion, and surprisingly, cannulated cows are usually the healthiest of the herd. You would think that walking around with a hole in your stomach would be bad for you, but apparently not. Some farmers apparently keep cannulated cows in their herd so they can serve as microbe donors to sick cows. Just bizarre. [Source: Oddity Central ]
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