Imagine you see nothing. Now, imagine 'seeing' that black nothing, that void, for years on end. Never knowing a color, or even a shape. It's a difficult life for anyone. But if you're blind, it's an incredibly challenging and difficult life.
However, say Australian scientists, total blindness may not be around forever. They have created the first bionic eye, and they think it works.
If successful, the bionic eye has the potential to help over 85% of those classified as legally blind. With trials beginning next year, Monash University's Professor Mark Armstrong says the bionic eye should give recipients a degree of extra mobility.
This isn't just a device though, it involves an implant in the back of the patient's brain, directly connected to their visual cortex - there it will be stimulating parts of their brain directly, bypassing whatever problem we had to see, whether the fault was in our eyes or in the neuronal connections.
The second part is a camera mounted in front, which is actually very similar to an iphone camera. The image it shoots is then distilled through a specilized processor and sends it to the implant wirelessly. The implant, made of a series of tiny ceramic tiles, has microscopic electrodes in each tile, which are embedded in the visual cortex.
The device will not allow for full sight, but it will allow the wearer to see the outlines of objects, and recognize people around them (We just don't know enough about the brain yet to achieve anything close to full vision through bionic implants, but we're getting better much quicker than anticipated).
One of the scientists involved in the project described it as a 'Low resolution dot image...enough to see the edge of a table or the silhouette of a loved one, or a step into the gutter...'
To someone who has seen only inky blackness, that is a lot.
Taking wearer comfort into consideration, the device was made as lightweight as possible, and have designed it to look more like a futuristic bluetooth device than a prosthetic.
The first implant is scheduled next year and is expected to answer the question once and for all - can we cure total blindness?
|
Homeopathy: Real Medicine or Hoax? An Explanation.
Find out exactly what homeopathy is and how it works with this fascinating video.
Let's Break Down The Logic of the Immune System
Did you know your white blood cells can make hydrogen peroxide?
Vaccinations SHOULD Trigger Side Effects, Here’s Why
Once you watch this video and understand why vaccine side effects happen, you may even be happy to get that headache.
Can A.I Catch What Doctors Miss? A Fascinating Talk
How close are we to that and can AI really do better than a human doctor? This fascinating TED Talk addresses these issues.
What Drinking Whiskey Actually Does to Your Body
While we now know that whiskey isn't the cure-all medicine people once though it was, it does have a few proven health benefits.
Not Only Covid-19: 5 Historically Significant Vaccines
Infectious diseases were a problem long before Covid-19. These are 5 of the most historically important vaccines that made the world safer.
6 Common Mistakes We All Make When Showering
Which of these 'mistakes' are you guilty of making?
HOW MUCH Exercise Do I Need to Burn Off These Foods?
Before you go for that takeaway, you should see how much exercise you will need to do to burn off those calories. This chart will show you.
Watch 20 Doctors Give Their Best Health Tip
20 top doctors, each an expert in a different medical field, all sharing one valuable health tip - packaged neatly into a single, convenient video
If You Eat These 9 Fish Regularly, You Should Stop!
We are always told how fish is healthy, but there are actually some types of fish that'll do more harm than good. Here are nine of them!
What You Should Drink After a Meal for Better Digestion
What should we drink after a meal for better digestion?
If You Want to Live Longer... Bend Over More Often!
Add more years to your life by doing this one, simple exercise every day.
How to Fix Your Sleep Schedule – Science-Backed Facts
Find out how your circadian system functions as an internal clock to keep your body running.
How the Location of Knee Pain Can Reveal Its Cause
Depending on where your knees hurt, you can sometimes tell what could be causing the pain.
9 Foods That Will Protect Your Skin From the Sun
These 9 foods each contributes something to the fight between your skin and the harmful UV rays of the sun.
The Common Cold: Humanity’s Age-Old Nemesis
The common cold has been with humanity since its early history. So why haven’t we found a cure for it yet?
Here's a Fast Technique to Put You to Sleep In 1 Minute
Struggling to fall asleep at night? Here’s a super exercise that might make you doze off in just 60 seconds.
Who's Most At Risk of Colon Cancer? Find Out Here!
Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer and deaths in the world. So who’s most at risk? How can it be screened? Find out here!
How to Increase the Amount of Oxygen in Your Blood
How can we make sure we're getting enough oxygen in our breathing? This video will make sure you know how.
A Fruit Shot a Day Keeps the Common Cold at Bay
Stock up on vitamin shots without draining your wallet - 6 recipes for natural immunizing vitamin remedies.
How to Effectively Improve Leg Circulation by About 75%
Here’s how you can improve blood circulation in your legs and feet effectively.
Don’t Believe These Lies: 12 Popular Egg Myths Busted
For the sake of french toast and sunny side up eggs for breakfast, we decided to bust 12 harmful and simply untrue beliefs about eggs
9 Effective Ways to Make Your Nausea Go Away
Nausea is that unpleasant feeling of discomfort inside your stomach, oftentimes leading to vomiting. Use one of these natural methods to stop it.
What Drinking Whiskey Actually Does to Your Body
While we now know that whiskey isn't the cure-all medicine people once though it was, it does have a few proven health benefits.
Doctor Tip: How to Drain Sinus and Clear Nose in 1 Move!
This doctor has a genius routine for draining your sinuses while also clearing your nose.
11 Warning Signs of a Nutrient or Vitamin Deficiency
You might not be getting enough nutrients, and you don't even know it. Watch out for these signs!
8 Persistent Skincare Myths That Can Ruin Your Skin
This article is about harmful skincare myths that are way more common than they should be and how to replace them with a healthy skin habit
Ever Heard of Sorghum? Hint: it's Something You Eat
In this article, we will learn about sorghum, an ancient wild grain compatible with gluten-free and diabetic diets.
The Surprising Reason Keeping Secrets Could Damage Health
Keeping secrets takes its toll on your mental health in multiple ways. Here's how to cope with that.
Massage These 3 Points if You Have High Blood Pressure
While high blood pressure is caused by a variety of things, its most common cause is hypertension. Reduce your high blood pressure by using the ancient technique of acupressure.
5 Common Myths About Sugar We Must Stop Believing
In this video, we discover the truth behind 5 of the most common myths about sugar.
Sciatica Back and Leg Pain - 5 Pain Relieving Exercises
Flareups are common for sciatica, but they can be managed and reduced with the help of specific exercises and stretches.
This Infograph Gives Terrific Info on Fruits and Veggies
This chart should be printed and hanged in every kitchen in the world.
These Exercises Bring Relief to Sciatica and Nerve Pain
A pinched nerve in the back can be a bothersome chronic condition with frequent flareups. Here's how to bring instant relief to this type of back and leg pain.
Is Sleeping a Full 8 Hours a Night Not a Good Idea?
A neuroscientist explains why eight hours of sleep every night might not be best for you.
Alleviate Your Sciatica Symptoms Using 6 Simple Exercises
Sciatica can be horrendously painful, but there are numerous exercises you can do in order to alleviate your symptoms. Try the 6 I'm about to show you.
Study: Can Our Sense of Time Heal Us Faster?
A recent groundbreaking study delves into how our perception of time can significantly impact the physical process of healing.
Your Kidneys Are So Vital - This is What You Need to Know
Have you ever wanted to know just what it is that your kidneys actually do? Here is the information you've been waiting for.
Forget Olive Oil, it's the Leaves Where the Power Lies
Olives and olive oil are on everyone's shopping lists. But what about olive leaves? Here we list 10 health benefits to be had from olive leaf extract.
Doctors Explain: 2 Powerful Tools in Dealing With Anxiety
A renowned doctor equips you with not one, but two phenomenal tools to effectively manage and control your stress.
A Lack of Sleep Can Cause These Detrimental Effects
We all know sleep is important. But what ACTUALLY happens in the body when we don't sleep?
How to Treat an Obstruction in Your Stomach
Did you know that you can naturally treat gastric obstructions by adding to organic ingredients to your diet?
How Can You Tell a Common Cold Infection from Influenza?
The common cold is among the most prevalent virus infections in the world. What's the best way to treat it?
Looking at Caffeine, Shampoo and Rosemary for Hair Growth
Looking at the real research done behind these ingredients helps us see which really help and which still needs more research to know if they are effective on humans.
An Ancient Chinese Story with a Lovely Moral
This beautiful Chinese tale tells the story of a maid and how she learned respect for her mother-in-law
Is Calorie-Counting Just a Nutrition Theory Gone Wrong?
We've all been counting calories for decades in hopes to cut down on our waistlines, but it turns our that the calorie system might be wrong
Here's a Quick Guide to Instantly Clearing a Blocked Nose
Got a congested nose? Remember these priceless tricks and thank us later!