TECHNOLOGY and YOUR HEALTH

Monkey see, monkey NOT do

While evolutionary biologists and anthropologists such as Jane Goodall constantly stress how ‘human-like’ are tailless monkeys such as chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas, the gap between what the latter can accomplish and what humans do is not minor but a chasm as wide and deep as the Grand Canyon!

When primates develop over 6500 languages as humans have, and build sky scrapers such the Empire State building or the dozen or so taller, 160 storeys plus towers into the atmosphere -- in Dubai and Asia today, when they build Boeing 747s, send someone to the moon and back, or even produce chocolate bars and paper towels by the billions on assembly line machinery, then I will accept we are kin.

The difference in god-like creativity between humans and monkeys is astounding and growing by the day.

Scientists have cloned animals for over a decade and a half, and stem cell research has now come to the point where replacement organs – using the person’s own stem cells and thereby preventing transplant rejection issues – is almost ready for mass use.

In fact, according to Maclean’s magazine’s extensive section, October 21, 2013, pages 46-54, scientist across the Western World are using a variety of technologies and 3D printers to create entire, functioning, custom made  organs: kidneys, windpipes, ears and noses.  

They have also mastered viable, miniature mechanical hearts and even a blood substitute based on plastic molecules and iron.  

Leaps forward in prosthetic arms, fingers and ankles are making the maimed and amputees able to do what fully bodied humans can – with almost the same facility and precision.  And these devices are now ready for mass production and distribution.

As the article notes, scientists can now replace with newly made living tissue or mechanical substitutes some 70% of the human body!