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Science Friday > Archives > 2003 > October
> October 24, 2003:
Hour Two: Monkeys
Move Robot Arm / Human-Wildlife Encounters
As development pushes further into previously wild areas, humans
are coming into contact more often with wild animals. In many parts
of the country, encounters with wild animals such as deer or bears
are becoming quite common. Starting in the 1980's, residents in Boulder,
Colorado began to see wild cougars in town. At first, the animals
were seen mainly at dusk. Gradually, however, the cougars became bolder,
venturing forth in broad daylight -- and eventually became bold enough
not to run from people. In this hour, we'll talk about the wild cougar,
and how the case of Boulder might serve as a lesson to other areas
around the country.
Plus, we'll find out about an experiment that sounds like something
out of science fiction. A recent paper published in the Public Library
of Science: Biology discusses the work, in which electrode-implanted
monkeys were able to move a robotic arm merely by thinking about it.
The work, the researchers say, could have implications for advances
in medical prosthetic devices -- as well as longer-term applications
to other forms of neurally-controlled electronic devices. We'll talk
to one of the scientists on the project. Call in with your questions
and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (3-4 Eastern), and share your opinions
online in our Listeners' Lounge (registration required).
Guests:
Miguel Nicolelis, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, Neurobiology
Co-Director, Center
for Neuroengineering
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
David Baron
Author, "The
Beast in the Garden: A Modern Parable of Man and Nature" (WW Norton,
2003)
Boston, Massachusetts
David Maehr
Author, "The
Florida Panther: Life and Death of a Vanishing Carnivore" (Island
Press, 1997)
Associate Professor, Conservation Biology
Department
of Forestry
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Books/Articles Discussed:
Related Links:
BBC
News | SCI/TECH | Monkey brain operates machine
ScienceDaily
News Release: Monkeys Consciously Control A Robot Arm Using Only Brain
Signals; Appear To 'Assimilate' Arm As If It Were Their Own
Monkeys
Control Robotic Arm With Brain Implants (washingtonpost.com)
THE
BEAST IN THE GARDEN: A Modern Parable of Man and Nature
Species
Profile for eastern puma (=cougar)
News-Leader.com
| True Ozarks | Cougars are here, but difficult to find, track
www.delawareonline.com:
The News Journal : Web site confirms cougar sightings
Cougar
Reports on the Rise in Eastern U.S.
Eastern
Cougar Network
Rocky
Mountain News: State
This segment produced by Karin Vergoth
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