Comments on: Cyborg Central: Researchers Combine Electronics with Synthetic Tissue http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/08/31/cyborg-central-researchers-combine-electronics-with-synthetic-tissue/ Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:34:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: DavidW_PhD http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/08/31/cyborg-central-researchers-combine-electronics-with-synthetic-tissue/#comment-34132 DavidW_PhD Sun, 09 Sep 2012 06:33:51 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=39622#comment-34132 PeterC, you could not possibly be more wrong when you say this is a "continuing failure to address interdisciplinarity in science and engineering." That is neither factually or syntactically correct. Combining electronically active non-biological components with biological components to create hybrid structures with potentially useful functions is by definition interdisciplinary. As for it being a "distraction from real issues," the same could be said for anything that does not address the major issues facing humanity, which frankly do not include reperfusion injury. Knowing the cellular and molecular mechanisms of reperfusion injury will have little affect on the lives and deaths of most human beings, while millions die every year from infectious diseases and starvation. If you are so concerned about the molecular mechanism of reperfusion injury, work on it yourself, but recognize that most of Earth's population will likely consider your work "a distraction from real issues." PeterC, you could not possibly be more wrong when you say this is a “continuing failure to address interdisciplinarity in science and engineering.” That is neither factually or syntactically correct. Combining electronically active non-biological components with biological components to create hybrid structures with potentially useful functions is by definition interdisciplinary. As for it being a “distraction from real issues,” the same could be said for anything that does not address the major issues facing humanity, which frankly do not include reperfusion injury. Knowing the cellular and molecular mechanisms of reperfusion injury will have little affect on the lives and deaths of most human beings, while millions die every year from infectious diseases and starvation. If you are so concerned about the molecular mechanism of reperfusion injury, work on it yourself, but recognize that most of Earth’s population will likely consider your work “a distraction from real issues.”

]]> By: MARK http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/08/31/cyborg-central-researchers-combine-electronics-with-synthetic-tissue/#comment-34131 MARK Sat, 08 Sep 2012 01:22:43 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=39622#comment-34131 Im very greatfull to all of you .The ones that dont know much but create controversy as to the ones that got their knowledge and submit explanations for us to understand better and to the scientist working this issues,may we one day get cure to many so called terminal illnesses.You guys are part of the hope to many of us, part of the light at the end of the tunnel. Im very greatfull to all of you .The ones that dont know much but create controversy as to the ones that got their knowledge and submit explanations for us to understand better and to the scientist working this issues,may we one day get cure to many so called terminal illnesses.You guys are part of the hope to many of us, part of the light at the end of the tunnel.

]]> By: Alex McLin http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/08/31/cyborg-central-researchers-combine-electronics-with-synthetic-tissue/#comment-34130 Alex McLin Mon, 03 Sep 2012 22:50:34 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=39622#comment-34130 PeterC, please provide references for the techniques you say would be better than what the engineers are proposing. I would like to learn more about them. PeterC, please provide references for the techniques you say would be better than what the engineers are proposing. I would like to learn more about them.

]]> By: FrogTale http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/08/31/cyborg-central-researchers-combine-electronics-with-synthetic-tissue/#comment-34129 FrogTale Sun, 02 Sep 2012 13:47:22 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=39622#comment-34129 I'm just a regular ignoramus, so sorry to have been born at least a couple of centuries too early ... I’m just a regular ignoramus, so sorry to have been born at least a couple of centuries too early …

]]> By: PeterC http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/08/31/cyborg-central-researchers-combine-electronics-with-synthetic-tissue/#comment-34128 PeterC Sat, 01 Sep 2012 23:02:43 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=39622#comment-34128 The elecrical properties of single myocytes and the whole heart are already known in great detail, and its function depends intimately upon the organisation of the billions of myocytes in 3D. An engineered scaffold denies that from the outset. Its highly unlikely that any new understanding will come from synthetic tissue studies, and physiologists already have devised far better techniques for the studies these engineers propose. To physiologists their biological aims are naive. Its an example of the continuing failure to address interdisciplinarity in science and engineering. The elecrical properties of single myocytes and the whole heart are already known in great detail, and its function depends intimately upon the organisation of the billions of myocytes in 3D. An engineered scaffold denies that from the outset. Its highly unlikely that any new understanding will come from synthetic tissue studies, and physiologists already have devised far better techniques for the studies these engineers propose. To physiologists their biological aims are naive. Its an example of the continuing failure to address interdisciplinarity in science and engineering.

]]> By: TheRant http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/08/31/cyborg-central-researchers-combine-electronics-with-synthetic-tissue/#comment-34127 TheRant Sat, 01 Sep 2012 16:33:58 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=39622#comment-34127 Just because we've discovered how to do some amazing things, but haven't figured out how other enigmatic issues work means the things we doknow are kindergarten science? Not hardly. This is cutting-edge science, especially if they figure out how to implant it with little to no immune rejection. Besides, you make it seem like reperfusion injuries are not even remotely understand. It's really hard to see down to the chemical reactions that occur in the body in real time as they occur. Studying dead tissue after the fact can only glean us so much information. If only they could make tissue facsimiles, somehow. And if maybe those tissues had some kind of electronic monitors that could sense the damage occurring by monitoring levels of different chemicals around the tissues. It could be like a biologic/synthetic tissue hybrid. I wonder when they'll get started working on that so we might be able to merge the two and solve this issue. Suddenly, it's not "kindergarten" science anymore. Just because we’ve discovered how to do some amazing things, but haven’t figured out how other enigmatic issues work means the things we doknow are kindergarten science? Not hardly. This is cutting-edge science, especially if they figure out how to implant it with little to no immune rejection.

Besides, you make it seem like reperfusion injuries are not even remotely understand. It’s really hard to see down to the chemical reactions that occur in the body in real time as they occur. Studying dead tissue after the fact can only glean us so much information. If only they could make tissue facsimiles, somehow. And if maybe those tissues had some kind of electronic monitors that could sense the damage occurring by monitoring levels of different chemicals around the tissues. It could be like a biologic/synthetic tissue hybrid. I wonder when they’ll get started working on that so we might be able to merge the two and solve this issue.

Suddenly, it’s not “kindergarten” science anymore.

]]> By: Stuffs http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/08/31/cyborg-central-researchers-combine-electronics-with-synthetic-tissue/#comment-34126 Stuffs Sat, 01 Sep 2012 00:48:16 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=39622#comment-34126 How exactly is this impeding cardiology research in any way? I like the idea of pacemakers becoming completely integrated. How exactly is this impeding cardiology research in any way? I like the idea of pacemakers becoming completely integrated.

]]> By: PeterC http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/08/31/cyborg-central-researchers-combine-electronics-with-synthetic-tissue/#comment-34125 PeterC Fri, 31 Aug 2012 19:31:15 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=39622#comment-34125 We should not forget that the cell/molecular mechansim of injury of the ischaemic- reperfused heart remains unsolved. This is kindergarten science, a distraction from real issues. We should not forget that the cell/molecular mechansim of injury of the ischaemic- reperfused heart remains unsolved. This is kindergarten science, a distraction from real issues.

]]> By: Anthony http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/08/31/cyborg-central-researchers-combine-electronics-with-synthetic-tissue/#comment-34124 Anthony Fri, 31 Aug 2012 18:34:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=39622#comment-34124 Ray Kurzweil is pleased. Welcome to the future. Ray Kurzweil is pleased. Welcome to the future.

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