How Tech Improves Life
? ??Paralyzed?people can now control?artificial?limbs?by thought alone. This is possible because of the development of technologies which?involve?connecting the brain to a computer or other?electronic?devices. One well-known use of such technology enables deaf people to hear. The device has several parts. One part is?surgically?implanted?into the?inner?ear. There it?stimulates?nerves to cause the?sensation?of sound. The other part sits behind the ear and works like a?miniature?microphone.
????Another new device?allows?those who have lost an arm or?a?leg to control their artificial limb just by thinking. The first human?volunteer?to try this out was Matt Nagel.?Matt was paralyzed from the neck down due to a?vicious?knife attack. The process of?implanting?the device into Matt was quite involved. First, a?circular?piece of his?skull?was removed.?Then a tiny plate with?hair-thin?electrodes?was inserted into his brain. It was placed in the?motor?cortex, the brain region that controls movement. This plate detects the?electrical?signals in the brain that usually control hand movement. From the plate, thin?cables?were connected to a small computer which?decodes?the signals from the plate and converts them into commands. Hopefully, these commands would control?the?artificial?hand?attached?to Matt's arm.
????Shortly after the operation, Matt was?surrounded?by the?surgeons?as he stared at his artificial hand with hope. To the?delight?of the crowd, the hand started moving, and the fingers closed, becoming a?fist. At that moment Matt made history. He became the first person to control an artificial limb by using a device surgically inserted into his brain. Since the operation, Nagel has continued to test the technology and further?investigate?its?capabilities. Using thought alone, he can now perform a variety of tasks. He can control a TV and even open emails. Such uses of technology are inspiring and bring joy to our hearts. It is powerful evidence that?technological?advancements?will improve our lives.
