Journal 5 September 24

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/24/eye.microchip.wired/index.html

This article describes a microchip that will allow the blind to have some vision again. This could be an incredible invention if it makes it through the research and development process and is implemented. It would not be like having actual eyes and having full vision again, but it would be enough to see the world around them, recognize people, and be able to interact better with people and things in their immediate vicinity. Basically, the blind person would wear a pair of glasses with a small camera in them, which would send information to the microchip, which could send the information to the brain, bypassing the damaged eyes. This would not work for people who are blind due to issues with their brain, but at least fixing damaged eye blindness is a start, and a very impressive one at that. Helping someone to regain a lost sense is like reintroducing them to a part of the world they've been missing out on, and is definitely something great that science can do for people. This article from last year also describes the same type of microchip being developed, and also says there is little room for error in such a microchip, as it interacts directly with a human organ, so as long as data is transferred without problems, there isn't much else that could go wrong. Last year the chip was far along enough in development to allow test subjects to see patterns of light and dark, perceive motion, count things, and differentiate and locate large items around them. This was only a first generation device, and this particular researcher was working on a third generation device last year, so the development of this microchip is well on its way and looks like it will actually be available in the near future. This invention will change a lot of lives when it becomes available, and is definitely a good thing for scientists to be researching.