Last week saw the announcement of one of the most exciting technical and medical breakthroughs ever: the development of ‘neuroprostheses’, or electronic brain implants. This amazing feat has enabled a paraplegic man’s brain to directly interface with and so control computers and robots: thanks Haruspica for your illuminating blog on this.
The research reported in Nature represents ‘the culmination of decades of investigation by many research group into computing, engineering and the neurobiology of animals and humans’; but there is still a way to go before neuroprostheses become clinical practice.
This breakthrough highlights perfectly the way science and medicine progresses: many groups work very hard – often in seemingly unconnected areas – and years later these come together to form something beneficial to humanity. However, certain groups often fail to appreciate the size of the task and difficulties involved in developing treatments and cures. For instance, antivivisection groups such as BUAV and EMP constantly whine that science has yet to produce a cure for AIDS, despite the fact that it was identified a mere 25 years ago and has seen huge developments in diagnostics and treatments thanks in large part to animal research. Not only do these antivivisection groups ignore the valiant efforts and successes of those involved, they actively (and irresponsibly) dispute the validity of the work done; setting their own opinion over those who work in the field and who are therefore rather better informed (see a previous blog Monkey business).
Neuroprostheses (see also the bionic eye development announced last week), treatments for AIDS, malaria, flu (of any description let alone the dreaded bird flu), TB – the list goes on and on – solutions to all these require much ingenuity, together with dedication, intelligence and research on animals. Researchers with these qualitites may save millions of lives; but according to the following cretinous statment are not needed.
What the enormous majority of sick people in this world need from us is not our ingenuity and our laboratories
Alistair Currie, BUAV Campaigns Director, speaking at the Oxford Union over the motion ‘This House would not test on animals’ (motion not passed)
Alistair Currie inhabits a fairyland where if people donated everything that they could spare then all the world’s troubles would be solved! Yes, the world would be a better place if more people were charitable: fewer children would starve, die of drought or hypothermia. But for the millions of AIDS sufferers, those paralysed, those succumbing to cancer and many more terrible diseases, there would be no cure: and I want no part of a world where money is thrown at them but no effort is made to tackle these things.
