A new bionic leg can be controlled by the brain alone
Those using the prosthetic can walk as fast as those with intact lower limbs
BEFORE HUGH Herr became a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he was a promising rock climber. But after being trapped in a blizzard during a climb at age 17, he lost both his legs below the knee to frostbite. Since then he has worked on creating prosthetic legs that would work and feel like the real thing. He appears to have succeeded.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Best foot forward”
From the July 6th 2024 edition
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Deforestation is costing Brazilian farmers millions
Without trees to circulate moisture, the land is getting hotter and drier
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They could soon show their moves in settings from car factories to care homes
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A mystery is finally being solved
Scientific publishers are producing more papers than ever
Concerns about some of their business models are building
The two types of human laugh
One is caused by tickling; the other by everything else
Scientists are building a catalogue of every type of cell in our bodies
It has thus far shed light on everything from organ formation to the causes of inflammation