Prosthetic culture

The idea that human culture is comprised of human and object interaction, specifically the set of objects from the earliest tools to the most advanced artificial limbs. Applied to digital culture, prosthetic culture treats the computer as an external brain or cybernetic mental attachment. Humans shed prosthetic devices, whether virtual or real, increasingly quickly. For more, see Cyborg Anthropology.

A large handful of days ago the Argus II was announced: an official announcement that the first retinal implant to restore a limited amount of vision to patients blind from photoreceptor degenerations. This product can now be implanted in Europe.

In the same week Visual Prosthetics is available on-line (you need special access) to be followed soon with hard copies. The book covers all retinal implant research projects as well as those for optic nerve, LGN, and cortical visual prostheses. It starts out with anatomy and physiology, and ends with simulations and rehabilitation of prosthetic vision.

You can inspect the book at www.springer.com/engineering/biomedical+eng/book/978-1-4419-0753-0