Nap time and Skywalker limbs

Found an interesting story today.

Scientists have successfully reduced the metabolic rate of mice by 90%, thus creating a forced hibernation. Go read the story if you want to know the scientific details, but the article mainly discusses the potential human gains this could bring. If the method proves reliable, you could potentially save the life of a human by putting them in hibernation if they had cancer, serious injury, surgeries, etc.

My initial thought when reading the story was the advantages hibernation may have for space travel. If I recall correctly, it takes about 2 years to reach Mars, and you could alternate hibernation for the astronauts, thereby reducing the physical and mental stress that space travel can create.

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In an incredible lapse of judgment, I forgot to bookmark an article I saw a few days ago... But thanks to the wonderful world of google, I was able to find it again.

Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is the Pentagon's research division and is in control of pretty much any scientific project the military wants to make a reality. Currently they are working on a project called Prosthesis 2007 , which is the hope for a "neutrally controlled artificial limb" in a nutshell, they are ordering up a Luke Skywalker arm, that can be controlled by your brain, will look like a real arm, and is sensitive enough so that you could write in long hand and pick up raisins. Scientists in general have been successful in transferring brain signals to a mechanical arm to control movement. This project basically takes it a step further. They want a real arm replacement, and they want it in 4 years. DARPA officials will admit that the time table is ambitious, and some real hurdles must be cleared in order for the project to work, but they believe it can be accomplished.

I hope that DARPA pulls this off, it would go down as one of our greatest achievements yet. Creating Luke Skywalker limbs for people maimed in accidents, war, and birth defects would be a tremendous boost to our society.