Roughly 20 years ago, I was sitting with a group of friends on a Saturday night watching television, eating store brand pizzas, and perfecting our coolness as a way of entertaining our financially challenged selves for the evening. Naturally it was I that broke the cool vibe we had going that evening.
Out of the blue, I made the statement that as a society we used to be the Flintstones, but now we are almost the Jetsons. I looked into everyone's faces for their understanding of the profound statement I had just made. All I got was side eyes and reluctant nods (I was the odd one in that crowd; they revoked my cool card due to statements such as this. Apparently the statement wasn't as profound as I thought).
Recently the memory of that evening came back to me after I read an article about Ian Burkhart, a young man that was paralyzed in a freak swimming accident when he was 19 years old. Mr. Burkhart recently traveled to the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center as the first participant of a medical trial by surgeons from the Ohio State University and engineers from Battelle.
Read the article here http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2014/06/24/cbs-new-technology-allows-quadriplegic-to-move-hand.html
Science and technology are discovering breakthroughs to difficult and complex issues everyday. The future is bright with possibilities. It is amazing that this medical trial that has allowed Mr. Burkhart to move his fingers with power of his mind, is just the tip of the ice berg. Not only are we going to unlock the mysteries of the brain to help individuals such as Mr. Burkhart walk again, I believe we are going to be able to solve the mysteries of all disabilities.
Perhaps we aren't the Jetsons yet, but we are well on our way!
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