Oh Brave New World...

So I'm done with blogging today (or so I thought) and decide to sit down and watch the news and 60 Minutes to keep informed. Then, after and interview with President Obama, they come on with this article about 'regenerative medicine.' Now I'm somewhat familiar with the ability of a certain subset of vertebrates to be able to regenerate limbs like salamanders and newts and the tails of some lizards, but not in humans... until, possibly, now. Most of the time when the damage to a human body is too great even for sort of "shop mechanics" surgical techniques, we are left only with amputation of a damaged limb or the need for the transplantation of whole organs (heart, liver, etc.). Then there are all the people who can't get organs in time and die while waiting. If we just had a way to trick the body into regenerating that tissue then many people might not face the amputations or total organ failures to their doom. But we haven't figure out how to do that yet... until, perhaps, now. I ask all my readers to click on the link and to take the time to watch the episode of 60 Minutes. It reminds me of that quote from Shakespeare and the Tempest: "Oh brave new world that hath such people in it." I suggest listening to the segment while listening to "Shapeshifter" from the album Octagon by the group Dilate for the full effect. Check iTunes please.