What a lovely book. I liked it just as much the second time around as I did the first. He takes a subject that not many people understand unless they are directly involved with the implant, and makes it easy to understand and so personal- he writes as he would speak, directly to the reader from his heart. I felt like I could really relate to his struggles, and his problems in life. I also enjoyed hearing about the behind the scenes part of the implant industry. It is the part that never gets mentioned. Nobody ever hears about the testing, and the people that built the implants by hand, and the people who wrote the software. Nobody knows about the trial and error in reproducing sound, in looking for newer and better ways to do the same thing. Nobody knows about the mistakes, like the processors that leaked, or the processor that didn’t work right, or the positioner, which gave some users meningitis. All these things fade into the background of the novelty of the invention itself: a device implanted into the brain that functionally reproduces the ability to hear for people that cannot. I just think that even with all of its problems, it is so amazing how far this technology has come, and how far it will eventually go.
2 comments:
I agree. Edison apparently blew so many fuses before even successfully creating the light bulb. Science is a lot of trial and error but we obviously wouldn't have the technology if it weren't for experiment. I'm just glad that a leaky processor and meningitis did not stop this idea entirely. It really seems to work in a way that gives us hope for future developments. Persistence pays off and I'm sure that this is one step closer to cyborg building...or re-building.
The recreation of sound in the cochlear implants is an incredible feat. We really need to step back and appreciate the innovation of thousands of dedicated minds to a positive solution for people in need. Like our Monday discussion over innovation and invention it is clear that the best innovations/inventions seem are improvements upon our lives. How we as a society have organized a structure in which research for the betterment of the world through commercialized production is the most incredible feat of all. The path an innovation or invention takes is such an interesting subject especially within our discussions of the emergent ubiquitous computing innovations. I am thrilled to be apart of an institution of research and learning that is hands on involved in such activities and I am excited do all I can to participate in research that could lead to bettering our society.
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