 Dispatches from a rapidly changing, rapidly improving world |
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We’re running BATT’s every day during Thanksgiving week.
Wow:
Blind
man fitted with ‘bionic’ eye sees for first time in 30 yearsA blind man who thought he would never be able to read again has had his
vision partially restored after being fitted with a ‘bionic’ eye.Peter Lane, 51, is one of the first people in the world to have electronic
receivers implanted into his eye which send signals mounted in a pair of
glasses to the brain.The technology has allowed Mr Lane, from Manchester, to see the outline
of objects, such as doorways and furniture, and to read letters through
a series of dots of lights for the first time in almost 30 years.
As I have noted before both here at the blog and on the podcast, good news
stories such as these are much more common than they used to be. With no intention
of catching any back-to-back action, four days ago I published another
piece of good news related to blindness in which I said:One day soon, blindness will be a thing of the past.
Looks like that day is coming sooner than expected! If I may continue quoting
myself…In the mean time, it is encouraging to see how emerging technologies (and
the resulting emerging possibilities) continue to chip away at the barriers
the visually impaired have always encountered when trying to interact with
a world that assumes vision.There are sound reasons to be discouraged and even fearful about some of
the things that are happening in our world. But we shouldn’t losesight of
the fact that we are living in the most astounding era in human history. We
have more to be hopeful about than any previous generation. That is something
to remember during a season of giving thanks.
Live to see it!