Cancer Fighting Impant

After much deliberation and research, I formulated my Com 435 poster around the subject of a cancer fighting implant. The idea was brought to my attention through an RSS feed on the MIT technology review. This then led me to Harvard Medical’s web-site where I was able to get an in-depth perspective on the project. I quickly realized how revolutionary the implant was, and the implications it posed for the future of individuals affected by cancerous tumors.

The, smaller than a dime sized, implant is ground breaking because, unlike most cancer vaccines that work to prevent tumors, this disk actually fights against existing tumors in the body. The disk is a polymer scaffold which is made up of the same material that’s used in biodegradable sutures, in addition to ground-up pieces of the patient's tumor, which shows cells what to attack.

The disk has proved to be successful at slowing the growth of tumors and elongating survival time in mice, and a startup called InCytu, is now developing the technology for human testing.

I don’t think I can name one person that hasn’t been affected by cancer through family, friends or friends of friends so a technology like this could truly prove to be revolutionary if successful in humans. As someone who has seen first hand the effects of cancer, this is a technology I can truly back and root for, and am very glad it was brought to my attention through research for my class.

Overall, this past semester has truly been a great learning experience, and opened my eyes to all the technologies our society takes for granted including the ability to Blog. I have found great pleasure in being able to share my thoughts and opinions on my very own personal space. Also, I really enjoyed the ability to combine pictures and layouts schemes, bringing a little of my own personality into this Blog's design.

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24013/page1/

Research posters

This past Monday I was able to take part in my Com 435's research poster presentation. While I had no idea what to really expect, I was truly blown away by my classmates creativeness and ability to concisely relay a message via a poster board. There were ideas ranging from cyborg insects, to biomedical implants, and all of them were fresh and innovative.

Through the use of Twitter on my mobile device, I was able to give feedback to people who I thought went above and beyond on their project. It was very neat to be able to relay messages instantaneously via my phone, and share the thoughts with my classmates. This project easily showed the wonders of the capabilities we are now inabled with in this day in age.

After writing my final paper of the class on the topic of retinal implants, I spent quite a bit of time debating over whether or not I wanted to continue with this subject and do my poster for this Friday on it as well.

For a little background on the subject,the retinal implant works to target diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, which is the leading cause of inherited blindness in the world, and age-related macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness in the industrialized world. Through an implantable microelectronic prosthesis, visual messages will be relayed directly to the brain giving vision to those who previously went without.
http://www.bostonretinalimplant.org/

Although this technology is cutting edge and very impressive, I really would like to learn about another emerging technology so I guess I have a big decision ahead of me

Envision Center

As a Senior at Purdue, I really thought I had experienced the campus and most everything it had to offer until my com 435 class went and visited the Purdue Envision Center. While I had walked by the center several times, I never actually knew what is was. However, I was aware that it had previously been used as the old pool hall, so it was great to learn about what a collabaorative, technological based center it had actually become.

The amount of research available in regards to Data Perception was unreal. It was wonderful that we were all able to experience this novel program for ouselves, and see first hand, what a great learning tool this can be for the people of Purdue.

Abundant Technologies

The moment I walked into my Emerging Technologies class and my attention was brought to the subject matter, I became acutely aware of the vast number of technologies there really are. It seems all too familiar to when I bought a new car, and the next day I noticed that there were many people with the exact same make and model already. Somehow this fact had gone unnoticed prior to me focusing my attention on it, and I think that is very similar to how I have been in regards to all the emerging technologies there really are.

Through researching cyborg technologies, I have been able to see first hand how close we are to truly integrating robotic devices with the human body. While the thought seems out of the question and something you would only find in Hollywood movies, it is quickly becoming a reality as successful research phases are continually being completed with several different devices. It is not far fetched to say that people will soon have powers and abilities to perform in ways that ordinary humans are not able to do.

Freedom of Speech Through the Internet

I truly believe that everyone, including myself, over look the amount of freedom of speech we have through the internet. Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc. have brought a whole new dynamic to expressing oneself, and it’s safe to say that many others have found a great deal of entertainment in reading these social media channels. To put rules and regulations on one’s freedom of speech would defame the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and thus hamper the ability to express thoughts and opinions.

I know many people find great relief in being able to vent and share their true feelings through blogging and other social sites, and that convenience brought about by technology is honestly something to be appreciated, not overlooked. As Solove says in the, Free Speech, Anonymity, and Accountability reading, “Freedom of speech is an essential right in a democratic society… [it] gives us the right to express ourselves even if our speech is trivial, despicable, crass, and repulsive.”

Technology Pitch

My group, Arm and a Leg, Inc., presented a pitch introducing a new technology for amputee patients. The product actually allows a prosthesis to attach directly to the bone allowing for optimal stability, and comfort for the recipient. This technology differs greatly from more traditional prosthetic devices that slide on and off the “stump,” and do not allow for fluid movement. We believe that this device will create a great hope for people in need, especially the soldiers that lost their limbs in battle. Through innovation and technology, millions of ideas such as the one Arm and a Leg, Inc. are proposing, are being introduced into the medical field daily, thus bringing new opportunities to people in need.

To tweet, or not to tweet....

Today I succumbed to the pressures of Twitter and joined. While I have been a skeptic since the beginning of this technologies’ launch, it is easy to see why it has become vastly popular all over the world. It is nice to be able to share your thoughts with numerous people by just typing into your phone. This channel also allows individuals, ranging from movie stars to plain Jane's, the ability to disseminate tweets to a great amount of people, yet keep the message very personable and relatable to all the recievers alike.