Can You FEEL a Book?

MIT's Media Lab is developing a book that allows you to feel the story, as opposed to read the story (although, I feel books when I read them, don't you?). The MIT project "relies on extra-lexical components like sound, temperature control, vibration, and ambient lighting to tell its stories. It's creators call it 'sensory fiction,'" which allows readers to physically feel the experience by wearing a vest that simulates heartbeat and shivering. 

The development is kind of a hybrid of book and video game.

This is so interesting and I want to know more! Yet I'm somewhat hesitant about turning the reading experience, which is so organic and uniquely personal, a truly imaginative activity, into a mechanized (and somewhat homogenized) immersion. The beauty of reading is the power words alone have to affect us, the reader. Making is a sensory-stimulated experience somewhat undercuts that genius that is the book, don't you think?

I'd love your thoughts on this! What and exciting, and also unnerving development!

Via The Atlantic

Remember That Stem Cell Debate?

Remember a few years back when the biggest debate was over stem cell research? Although we don't hear about it as much anymore, some advances in the field are yielding exciting possibilities, and with those possibilities, some concerns. 

"The Berlin Man" received a blood stem cell transplant (which is pretty much a bone marrow transplant) a few years ago to treat his Leukemia. Surprisingly, after the treatment, his HIV seemed to have disappeared. Although remnant traces linger, he is symptom free and has been off is medication for over five years now! So is this possibly a cure?

Stem cell research is finding all sorts of new discoveries. For example, embryonic stem cells (the big debate) offer a plethora of information and opportunity, while somatic or adult stem cells (like the blood stem cells) don't have the flexibility or potential of the embryonic. So what did scientists do? They've found a way to essentially create stem cells in labs that resemble embryonic stem cells, without actually harvesting any!

Pretty crazy stuff. It seems as though this advancement means no more debate. But wait, there's more...

Read more of my article here, on The International!