The Speculist

Last year Phil and I had one of our unplanned blog waves. That wave was about everything cyborg:

• The Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator

• Cyborgs

• Molecular Electronics

• Newsflash!

It might be a stretch to say that "Newsflash" is about cyborgs, but it made the point that future nanomachines might bear a striking resemblance to yeasts or other life. That fact might prove particularly helpful within living systems. If, for example, a medical device could be powered by ATP like the rest of your body, you wouldn't have to worry about batteries running out, or needing to be surgically replaced, or leaking.

The work on living machines continues in Israel:

Itamar Willner, who constructed the molecular calculator with colleagues at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, believes enzyme-powered computers could eventually be implanted into the human body and used to, for example, tailor the release of drugs to a specific person's metabolism.

Such a device could become an onboard doctor, pharmacy, and drug manufacturer. It could diagnose a problem, prescribe a solution, manufacture, and release. Perhaps it could also insure that you get perfect nutrition from a less-than-perfect diet.

This type of technology may be required to fully realize life extension.

Last year's cyborg wave was followed by posts on Organic Electronics and Organic Molecular Transistors.