Science is awsome

[Sasq]

Technology has finally evolved to cover the important things

http://epicwinftw.com/2010/07/08/awesome-photos-science-is-awesome/

jokes aside, it is impressive that technology has reached a point where something that is actually quite complex is achievable with replacement limbs

[Dr Mordrid]

The Scottish i-Limb from Touch Bionics on the first 2 links, and it isn't the furthest along today.

That title belongs to the hand (bottom link) being developed by the DoD's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). So far the DARPA hand has 26 of the 30 degrees of freedom in a natural hand, and they're also working on giving it a sense of touch/heat/cold etc.

The hand itself can run programs where it can play the piano, but doing so attached to a human requires the BMI (brain machine interface) in parallel development. Once both units are finished it goes to the FDA for approval for use on humans.

The DARPA video is about 2 years old and it's advanced a lot since then.

i-Limb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkxuJwlquuQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lvnUafkSy0&feature=related

DARPA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRuizeW-3Hc

[Marshmallowman]

I would say thats awesome engineering

[KRSESQ]

This remark in the comment section floored me:

That’s not science, that’s technology.

Jesus, some people are effin' stupid.

Kevin

[Dr Mordrid]

Not really....

Fundamental science is largely theoretical; describing the physical world, the forces that act on it and the phenomena that result from their interaction. These theories can change, and often do - sometimes drastically.

Technology, basically applied science & engineering, is the practical application of scientific theory in the physical world. The devices and products that come from applied science and engineering work regardless of if the theories change.

Two different things.

[KRSESQ]

Hardly. We're not talking about abstract scientific theory but the application of established principles. As was pointed out in the same comment thread, and as you touched upon, technology is applied science. Theoretically one can have science without technology, but one cannot have technology (even in its most primitive form) without science (even if the science is not fully understood).

Kevin

[Brian Ellis]

Very difficult to define the terms into watertight compartments. As an example:

a scientist may think up, from theoretical bases, e.g., a new type of semiconductor and he may prove his theory by lab experiments
a technologist will devise the method of putting the new semiconductor into a practcal method of manufacture
an engineer will design the practical semiconductor chip, so that it can do something useful.

All three persons are professionals with, at least, a university degree.

The next stages are the designer, who, e.g., incorporates the chip into a practical design, generally using IT, but guided by the engineer. The designer does not necessarily have a degree, but there are many engineer-designers, with one, in practical industry
the technician is the guy who puts the lot together on the shop floor and tests it (against an engineer's protocol)

None of these are hard and fast rules, as there may be overlap in some cases.

[KRSESQ]

That's all true. But I'm thinking in much more general terms.

Kevin

[Sasq]

heh. when i posted this, and a reason for the lounge and not the science forum, simply was, I was thinking how that guy feels, after so long, finally being able to take part more easily in the simple pleasure of cracking a tinny without too much difficulty.