Incredible Human Machine Page #3

Humayun has implanted an ingenious

little device at the back of Linda's eye.

Just 1 6 electrodes

that should act as a simple retina,

turning light into impulses

that can be sent to the brain.

We lay it right on the retina

and the current stimulates

the underlying nerve cells.

When this information is received by the brain,

you see a spot of light.

To perceive those spots, Linda had to first wear

a special pair of sunglasses that capture light,

convert it into electrical signals,

and fire up the implants in her eyes.

As the doctors activated the electrodes

one by one,

it started to work.

lt was crude,

but Linda could now see light and movement.

As they turned more and more electrodes on,

l could see the lights on

or the doorway.

l could tell the difference

between black and white.

lt was exciting. Yes, it was.

1 6 signals hardly compares to the million or so

a working retina transmits.

But with each passing day,

her brain compensates,

and Linda sees more detail.

We thought that 1 6 electrodes would never ever

give Linda or any other patients

the level of vision they have been able to attain.

The brain fills in the missing gaps.

From simple flashes of light

our brains can somehow conjure

meaningful images.

So, now, after 1 0 years of blindness,

Linda can see the grandchildren

she never saw before.

They like to run in front of me.

''Where am l, Grandma? Where am l?''

l'm more connected to them,

a little more part of their lives, you know.

Even for those of us lucky enough

to see 20/20

the sense of sight does not work alone

in the incredible human machine.

On either side of our heads

are the body's microphones - ears.

But ears do much more than hear.

They give us balance, telling us

where we are in space at any given moment.

Riding a bike, landing,

perfecting a dive,

even taking a baby step,

all would be impossible without

the intricate gadgetry deep inside our ears.

Here, three fluid-filled tubes work like

carpenters'levels to help keep us balanced.

When we turn our heads, the fluids move,

stimulating nerve cells,

and orienting the brain in three dimensions.

Up-down, left-right,

forward-backward.

lt's a powerful little mechanism

that we can stimulate artificially.

Welcome to the weird world of tomorrow.

With a special electrified headset,

scientists in Japan have taken hold of

our balancing centres.

By sending current down to those nerves

in our inner ears

they've created remote-controlled

human beings.

TRANSLATOR:
l've never experienced

such a sensation.

lt was like being drunk on the deck of a boat

rocking in the waves.

The current is low voltage,

just enough to throw people off balance

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