Surgeons carry out first synthetic windpipe transplant

[Archean]

Scientists in London created an artificial windpipe which was then coated in stem cells from the patient. Crucially, the technique does not need a donor, and there is no risk of the organ being rejected.

 

[Leeky]

Wow, thats pretty good going

 

[Benny26]

I watched a news artical about this last night, It's very interesting stuff.

There's obviously one big step on the road of "synthetic organ replacment" though: the brain. Once humans master the brain and its workings (which that could be a very long time) immortality could soon after be coming out of the science fiction section.

I would bet it would come at a very steep price though...

 

[Leeky]

So Richard Branson would be OK then! :haha:

 

[Benny26]

So Richard Branson would be OK then! :haha:

Good old beardy Branson. He can afford anything: he has his own bloody island...now that is taking the biscuit. I suppose you gotta hand it to that guy for having done what he's done though.

I wonder what he was drinking at the time when he thought of his company name? :suspiciou

 

[Archean]

Ignoring the naming conventions, I reckon him to be a much better business brain when compared to SJ.

I think they are more closer to replacing damaged organs, e.g. heart.

 

[Leeky]

Oh definitely. Every progress made in the name of science is a step closer to curing the incurable, and repairing of organs than otherwise cut some peoples lives short.

 

[Benny26]

I think i'm right in saying that they've managed to create heart valves using this process already.

If fully functioning hearts could be made in the future, that would be a really big boost to medicine...especially with the death toll surrounding heart related illnesses.

 

[Archean]

Yup, I think a heart is designed for something like 8 billion beats (+/- some) so having a new one, or even one whose valves have been 'recreated' would be a great news

 

[Lokalaskurar]

8 billion beats equals to about 250 years* worth of beating, so that's like a 128 bit Linux clock all over again :haha:

Of course, considering that all hearts beat in different paces, some beat more, some beat a lot less blablabla

-----
(*on paper only!*)
-----

I know I saw an article saying that there are only so-many parts left in our bodies which are non-man-manufacturable. Guess we can scratch another one. Good going I say

 

[Archean]

250? Okay I must admit I c****** up pretty badly somehow ....

Anyway here is one illustration (which seems more plausible) with average age assumption of 65 years:


in 1 min = 72
in 1 hour = 72 * 60 = 4320
in 1 day = 72 * 60 *24 = 103680
in 1 year = 72 * 60 * 24 * 365 = 37843200
in Avg life span = 72 * 60 * 24 * 365 * 65 = 2459808000

But I've observed that many people around the age of 60 end up having heart bypass surgery, so this number doesn't really mean much as long as the heart's 'condition' is good.

 

[SNGX1275]

Now the people with throat cancer from smoking can smoke some more!

 

[Lokalaskurar]

... this number doesn't really mean much as long as the heart's 'condition' is good.

Yeah, and also; if a person's average health is good => the heart usually beats slower (stronger).

And I should have mentioned that 250 years assumes that a heart is beating at ~61 BPM (personal reference...) at a more or less constant rate.

 

[Benny26]

Archean said:
in Avg life span = 72 * 60 * 24 * 365 * 65 = 2459808000

This is wrong i'm afraid. There are 1,684800 missing beats in that equation: the correct number would be 2,461,492800.

I'll give points for finding the flaw...

 

[Archean]

Okay, have I missed leap year factor or what?

 

[Benny26]

Okay, have I missed leap year factor or what?

You were so quick with finding the flaw that you have been spared any embarrassment, good Sir

 

[Archean]

Ah, that is very kind of you :grinthumb

But even then the calculations are bit off, I mean every passing day is slightly longer than the day before. It is hard to believe but the fact is once upon a time the day was only 18 hours long

 

[Benny26]

Ah, that is very kind of you :grinthumb

But even then the calculations are bit off, I mean every passing day is slightly longer than the day before. It is hard to believe but the fact is once upon a time the day was only 18 hours long

Yes, that is indeed true.

The Earth is slowing down, with most scientists blaming the tides and the moon in general pulling on the Earth's rotation. One day we may very well just stop all together...although maybe that's a long time yet.

 

[Archean]

Not before sun runs out of fuel. Beside in about 1,800 mil years, earth will not be inhabitable anyway.

 

[Benny26]

One day, humans might leave this planet in search of a better home, but that's if we can get that far down the line without blowing ourselfs up of course.

These humans might also be totaly composed of synthetic material with the rate this science is going

 

[Archean]

Spot on

By the way, I know you posted in this weekend's open forum. I just remember that what little spam I get once may be a month nowadays, is about penis enlargement. So probably they can benefit from this technology as well. :grinthumb

 

[Benny26]

Spot on

By the way, I know you posted in this weekend's open forum. I just remember that what little spam I get once may be a month nowadays, is about penis enlargement. So probably they can benefit from this technology as well. :grinthumb

:haha:

You know, as far as i can remember i've never had any "Penis enlargement" spam mail (maybe that's saying something about me? )

The future 'Synthetic penis'.....now that sounds scary for some reason. But then again if it helps any "inadequate" men, good for them i say.

 

[Archean]

In the same way as some women feel that 'breast implants' are good for them

You know, as far as i can remember i've never had any "Penis enlargement" spam mail (maybe that's saying something about me?

Or may be they are just waiting for the right time

 

[Benny26]

Hmmm...Yeah, best for me not to think about that then.

I think you can actually see this going to the cosmetic market in the future...now that we've been talking about it. Hopefully not before the real medical market.

Edit: Well, It is already in the real medical market, but you know what i mean

 

[Archean]

Or at least the 'medical treatment' side of it will have the priority.