Technology’s  Wonder

I don’t know about you, but I’m always impressed when I read about some new technological discoveries. And when you think about it, the inventions we have seen since the dawn of the century are not only amazing but coming along so rapidly they are dizzying.

          Technology keeps on keeping on. New advances now making full use of the brain are the wonder of our age as they help the disabled. Case in point, the theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, who has suffered from ALS for decades, has been able to continue his work despite his ever-increasing physical limitations. At one point, keyboards were adapted to obey his voice commands, but these days Hawking writes using his brain. A chip in his eyeglasses makes it possible for him to pick up radio waves from his mind and transfer them to his laptop so he can type mentally. Amazing or what?

          And other disabled people who have a chip inserted in the brain and then connected to a laptop are able to mentally operate a wheelchair and household appliances, surf the net, write e-mails, even if they are totally paralyzed. The implanted chip is a sort of brain pacemaker about the size of a dime. What a welcome advance for so many paraplegics.

          And for us who are no longer as young as we used to be and who may fear dementia in the future, technology may have a welcome solution. Researchers are working on the possibility of inserting a chip/pacemaker in the brain of people with memory problems that would upload memory. That technology is more than mind-boggling, and when you consider the number of seniors who suffer from dementia, it would amazingly redefine the golden years for an awful lot of people.  

          And who knows what other advances we’ll see in the next few years. Hoorah for our technological age!