Are Bionic Superhumans on the Horizon

Are Bionic Superhumans on the Horizon? In-depth Reading Guide Reading each question and answer using the informational text located on page 19. Each number is a paragraph in the text where you will find your answers. Please write in complete sentences unless it says otherwise. Paragraph 1: We are in the middle of what kind of revolution? A bionic revolution. Paragraph 2: How many people worldwide already have cochlear implants? Around 220,000 people worldwide have the implants.  Describe what a cochlear implant does: They implants—devices worn around the ear that turn sound waves into electrical impulses shunted directly into the auditory nerve. Paragraph 3: What is a brain stimulator? Devices that send an electrode3 tunneling several inches in the brain.  What is the definition of the word implant?  To implant a device means to place it inside the body through surgery. Give one example of how deep-brain stimulators are used: Deep brain stimulators are used to control Parkinson’s disease. Paragraph 4 Which Olympian made a splash with his Cheetah carbon-fiber prothesis? Oscar Pistorius Paragraph 5: Zac Vawter had a thought-controlled bionic leg and used it to climb what? Zac Vawter used to climb all 103 floors of Chicago’s Willis Tower. Glen Lehman had what kind of bionic limb attached? Or It was nerve-controlled bionic hand that Iraq war veteran Glen Lehman had. Paragraph 6: What is a i-Limb Ultra? Give two specific examples to what it can do. It is an artificial hand with five independently articulating artificial fingers. Paragraph 7: Define these terms. Look at the BOTTOM of the page to find the definitions.    Prostheses: artificial devices that replace injured or missing body parts. Inert: unable to move or act. Interface: to connect or interact smoothly. Paragraph 7: How is technology allowing protheses to pack more power? Advances in microprocessors, in techniques to interface 7 digital technology with the human nervous system, and in battery technology to allow prostheses to pack more power with less weight Paragraph 8: What happened to Cathy Hutchinson in 1997? She had a stroke that left her without control of her arms.  What did Cathy volunteer for?   She let researchers implant a small device in the part of her brain responsible for motor control.  What is the device supposed to do? With that device, she is able to control an external robotic arm by thinking about it. Paragraph 9: If the remote arm is not attached to her body, how far away is she able to control it? The answer is at least thousands of miles.  What did studies show with a monkey with a brain implant? In animal studies, scientists have shown that a monkey with a brain implant can control a robot arm 7,000 miles away  Where were the monkey’s brain signals sent from? The monkey’s mental signals were sent over the internet, from DukeUniversity in North Carolina, to the robot arm in Japan. Superhuman Frontier Paragraph 10: What point does the 7,000 miles away protheses arm make? These new prostheses aren’t just going to restore missing human abilities. They’re going to enhance our abilities, giving us powers we never had before  Can prosthetics be used for other things other than just replacing lost limbs? Yes, for creating microchips to help with memory and prosthetics that can be used with your mind. Paragraph 11: What is other research showing? Other research is pointing to enhancements to memory and decision making. Paragraph 12: What is the hippocampus in the brain used for? The hippocampus is a small, seahorse-shaped part of the brain that’s essential in forming new memories. What happens if it is damaged? If it’s damaged—by an injury to the head, for example—people start having difficulty forming new long-term memories. In the most extreme cases, this can lead to the complete inability to form new long-term memories, What did researchers create in 2011? In 2011 researchers created a “hippocampus chip.”  What experiment did they do? They implanted a hippocampus chip in rats with a damaged Hippocampus.  What were the results of the experiment?  they found that not only could their chip repair damaged memory  Paragraph 13: What did another study in 2012 demonstrate? It demonstrated that we can boost intelligence in monkeys.  What does the underlined word demonstrate mean? It is an explanation or to show how something is done.  What did scientists at Wake Forest University test? They implanted specialized brain chips in a set of monkeys and trained those monkeys to perform a picture-matching game.  What did they test? What animal did they use? They implanted specialized brain chips in a set of monkeys and trained those monkeys to perform a picture-matching game.  Why was this test important? What did it help improve? When the implant was activated, it raised their scores by an average of 10 points on a 100-point scale. The implant makes monkeys smarter Paragraph 14: What is still in the early stages of development? Boosting memory technology and boosting intelligence technology is in its early stages. Paragraph 15: What did Oscar Pistorius have to prove about his prosthetic limb to be able to compete in the Olympics? That his Cheetah artificial limb did not give him an advantage over his competitors. Paragraph 16: What does the word integrity mean? (see side panel) Following a strict code of conduct.  How might enhancement technology, such as brain chips affect all of us? It might give people the ability to be “smarter” and have an unfair advantage to others without the chip. Paragraph 17: What is the definition of enhancement? (see side panel) It means to improve or adds to the quality or productivity of something.  Will everyone be able to use new bionics? If yes, give an example from paragraph 17. If no, give an example from paragraph 17. Yes, but it is still in its early stages. But many prothesis are available. Paragraph 18: Complete this sentence: The technology will sneak it way into our lives ___________________starting with people with disabilities and the ill. _________________________________________________________________ Paragraph 19: What kind of technology is on the horizon? Superhuman technology is on the horizon. Look at paragraph 17 and answer this question: What it possible to make humans smarter, sharper and faster, how will that affect us? Think about what you have read about in the other paragraphs to answer. Answer in complete sentences.