Aimee Mullins: Two legs good, 24 legs better

[Posteritatis]

No particular part of this article I can really excerpt easily, since it's a fairly free-flowing interview, but it's an interesting one. In it, Aimee Mullins - who was born without fibulae - talks about the results of her deciding that, if she was going to rely on prosthetic legs, she might as well experiment with them. The discussion branches from there into the implications of people in a position to do that doing so, and has a gallery of some examples.

(Also, as I mentioned in a comment on another post, the New Scientist is great today; pick a couple articles at random.)

[Eric J in MN]

1. RE "Do you hear anyone question people playing sport with a titanium hip or..."

"...those new ultra-streamlining swimsuits?"

Yes, certain swimsuits have been banned on the theory that the type of fabric used makes them a floatation device.

[eppur_se_muova]

2. Only one pair at a time? Meh.

I was thinking of something like a cross between a centaur and a centipede.

If you're going to experiment, show some imagination. :evilgrin:

[borelord]

3. I'm pretty sure

This woman did a Ted talk. If you can find it you can see this stuff in action.

[borelord]

4. found it!

http://www.ted.com/talks/aimee_mullins_prosthetic_aesthetics.html