Scientists Have Developed the First Modular Body– a Living Being That Is not Alive

Biologist Cornelis Vlasman imagines the body as a functioning biological LEGO system. As well as, his clickable system of swapping human organs is coming to life … if you want to define life reasonably loosely. Moreover, you are willing to suspend reality for a bit.

In a (fictional) experiment, Vlasman developed OSCAR, a living, organic being developed from his own cells, albeit one that works with the help of technology. As well as if having a pocket-sized human system crafted from organic material was not interesting sufficient, OSCAR is fully modular– here is where you can start assuming LEGO-like worlds– with each component interchangeable to create unique arrangements.

While this is regretfully a sci-fi experiment, it simply might have legs (and arms).

In the video from a couple of years ago, recently discovered by Newsbreak’s Andrei Tapalaga, Vlasman shows how his brain component, a fully electric device, attaches to his lung module. The two instantly begin interacting together. He includes a kidney component, then connects two different limb components that “begin actuating the organism to move.” As the organic matter begins sliding across the table, it makes you begin to worry about what OSCAR depends on and what is feasible in the future.

Vlasman’s Explanation

Vlasman says this prototype, with bloodstream and nerve signals transmitted throughout the connectors, transforms the human body from a closed system to an open-source system.

“If an organ gets ill, you can easily replace it with a new one,” he says while recommending you could upgrade the body with an additional limb component if desired. “The modular body will become alterable and adaptable to all kinds of circumstances.”

The experiment shows off the power of stem cell research for morphing into human tissue, all while highlighting the communication between technology and the body. For OSCAR to work, it takes far more than just cells, as the components in Vlasman’s experiment need an electric brain to work. Rather than printing organs with a focus on identical copies for spare components, maybe we do something distinct altogether. Maybe we transform sci-fi into reality.

Read the original article on Popular Mechanics.

Red more: Flint Water Crisis Demonstrates the Value of Social Networks.