medicine – Dark5.tv

Can This Ultimeyes App Give You Superhuman Vision?

Scientists have created an iPad app that can give a person superhuman vision after repeated use. Rather than changing the structure of the eye, the app works by training the brain to better process the information it receives from the eye.

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside tested the app UltimEyes on 19 players on the school’s baseball team. After 30 25-minute sessions over the course of 2 months, the app lengthened the distance at which the players could see clearly by an average of 31 percent. Most of the players had their vision improve beyond normal 20/20, and seven of the players were able to achieve 20/7.5 vision. This means that they could see something at 20 feet away that a person with normal 20/20 vision could only see at 7.5 feet away.

The app taps into a concept known as neuroplasticity which is related to how the adult brain can adapt and be re-wired. Eyes subtly change over time, but the brain constantly adjusts for these changes The app essentially trains the brain to make the right changes. Scientists hope to tap into the concept to tackle other issues like improved hearing and memory.

Ultimeyes is currently available for $5.99 at ultimeyesvision.com

Incredible Bionic Hand Has Allowed This Amputee To Feel Again

Nine years ago, a Danish man lost his left hand in a fireworks accident. But now, electrodes surgically implanted in his nerves and connected to a prosthetic hand have made him the first amputee to feel again.

Nine years ago, a Danish man lost his left hand in a fireworks accident. But now, electrodes surgically implanted in his nerves and connected to a bionic hand have made him the first amputee to feel again.

Researchers from Switzerland and Italy, implanted the electrodes into Dennis Aabo Sørensen’s arm in February 2013. One month later, the researchers blindfolded Sørensen, and placed an object in his hand while music played in his headphones. The researchers asked him to describe an object they placed in his prosthetic hand, and his brain activity suddenly lit up as if he was actually touching the object. Sørensen could tell that the object was round and knew he had just been handed a baseball.

It will be years before such a prosthetic is available to the public, but scientists are hopeful after this incredible first step.

Source: USA Today

If you lost a hand in the 19th century, you might have been lucky enough to get one of these…

Being a supervillian probably would have helped too.

According to the London Science Museum:

Being a supervillian probably would have helped too.

According to the London Science Museum:

Made from steel and brass, this prosthetic arm articulates in a number of ways. The elbow joint can be moved by releasing a spring, whereas the top joint of the wrist allows a degree of rotation and an up-and-down motion. The fingers can also curl up and straighten out. The leather upper arm piece is used to fix the prosthesis to the remaining upper arm. The rather sinister appearance of the hand suggests the wearer may have disguised it with a glove. Among the most common causes of amputation throughout the 1800s were injuries received as a result of warfare.