Revolutionary prosthetics, and new pandemic concerns

These prosthetics split the mold with 3rd thumbs, spikes, and superhero skins

Historically, prosthetics designers have looked to the human physique for inspiration. Prosthetics had been observed as replacements for lacking body pieces hyper-real looking bionic legs and arms had been the holy grail. 

But we’re now witnessing a movement in alternative prosthetics, a variety of assistive tech that bucks convention by generating no try to blend in. In its place of creating units that mimic the overall look of a “normal” arm or leg, a new wave of designers are making fantastical prosthetics that may possibly wriggle like a tentacle, mild up, or even shoot glitter. Go through the whole tale.

—Joanna Thompson

Joanna’s tale is from the most recent print problem of MIT Technological innovation Assessment, which is all about style and design. Sign up for a subscription to examine the entire issue when it will come out later this thirty day period.

We do not need to panic about a bird flu pandemic—yet

How worried really should we be about fowl flu? Some have warned that avian flu will be the next fatal pandemic. Other folks have reported the possibility is no different from what it was a couple many years back.

There’s no denying that outbreaks of the virus have experienced a large effect on birds in modern months, and that the existing outbreak is noticeably worse than what we have noticed in the previous. But though we’ve seen a small quantity of instances in folks, there’s no proof to propose it poses a more substantial risk to individuals now than in the past. Examine the full tale.