|
Here's a Thought for You
North Miami Beach, Florida 4-4-2000 Aaron H. Schectman
THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on issues, ideas and reflections on the times. Published now and
then. Opinions pro or con are welcome.
HERE'S A THOUGHT FOR YOU
I read in the Times this morning that there is a robot in your surgical
future. Scientists and doctors are teaming up to develop machinery that
will cut and sew in you with tiny instruments instead of a doctor's "fat"
fingers.
Now this is not a new idea. At least fifty years ago Robert Heinlein wrote
a short story about "Waldo Inc." Waldo was a human who suffered from a
debilitating muscular disease that prevented him from functioning here on
earth. So, of course there was a means of catapulting him up into space
where he would escape gravity and, presto! He was able to use what little
muscular ability he had left to the fullest extent. His mind was not
touched by disease and he was able to think about a lot of things.
One of his inventions up in space was dubbed "The Waldo" in his honor. He
could not handle normal tools but his fine discrimination in what muscles
his fingers retained were able to use tiny ones. He then used these tools
to design smaller ones and the smaller ones still smaller ones. By remote
control he could perform the minute tasks of perhaps sewing some capillaries
together and eventually patients were sent up to him for administrations of
his ingenuity.
He (Heinlein) left a blueprint for the people who are doing what he
imagined and what was imagined is soon to be a reality. Of course, we won't
be sending people up to a space laboratory for the work to be done. But,
little artificial fingers will operate with tiny tools by remote control.
The world of science has become what science fiction predicted.
Carol's Evaluation: 10 out of 10.
|
 |
|