It's alive!

If there is anyone who fits the stereotype of the crazy scientist, it is probably Kevin Warwick of the University of Reading. He will, for example, tell anyone within hearing range that he wants to become a Cyborg.

And he will put his money (or put more succinctly, his life) where his mouth is: By 2002 he had already implanted computer chips in his nervous system. Not only could he now move a robotic arm with his implant, but also feel artificial sensations from a similar electrode inserted into his wife. Somehow sexual intercourse just wasn’t enough.

His no holds barred, pyrotechnic approach to scientific research has earned him a lot of appearances on the discovery channel and the disdain of some of his fellow scientists.

But think of mr Warwick what you may, you cannot help but be intrigued by his experiments.

Apparently bored by something as mundane as implanting electrodes into his body, mr Warwick is now growing neurons in Petri dishes and attaching them to robotic devices. His rat-neuron-petri-dish-brain successfully controls a simple wheeled robot.

And guess what animal will provide the brain cells for his next artificial brain?

I’ll give you a hint, it’s a biped.

The Cyborg