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| Torn from an issue of "Hello" magazine. |
In 1972, Martin Caidin’s
novel Cyborg excited people with the idea of bionic replacements for
injured limbs and damaged organs. TV
shows like “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “The Bionic Woman” explored how
such technology might not only allow recipients to live ordinary lives, but to
serve their communities in extraordinary ways.
Visions of a bionic tomorrow fueled hope among the disabled. When I wrote to Kenneth Johnson, asking for
permission to share a portion of our correspondence with you (included in
yesterday’s post), he also offered this insight.
“In addition to what I wrote you previously about my responses to
disabled kids, I often said that maybe they would grow up to be the doctor or
scientist who actually helped create such real bionic devices.”
I would not be surprised if
Kenneth Johnson’s TV show, and his encouragement to disabled children, bore
such fruit in today’s technology and medical fields. While many use Science Fiction to warn
against dystopian futures, other authors empower us to dream about a better
tomorrow. I’m not sure what dreams
fueled Israeli entrepreneur Amit Goffer, but he has designed ReWalk, a lightweight
brace suit. Powered by rechargeable
batteries, a computer drives actuation motors and motion sensors. After proper training, the paralyzed wearer
uses crutches for stability, and must focus intensely on each step, as he or
she cannot feel their legs. Still, the
suit offers something a paralyzed person would otherwise never regain: the
ability to stand, walk and climb stairs.
Recently hailed by Britain’s
“Hello” magazine as a real life "Bionic Woman,” Claire Lomas is an irrepressible
young woman who refuses to let her injury constrain her dreams. In the five years since the horse riding
accident that broke her neck, back, and ribs, Claire has gone skydiving,
learned to monoski, and returned to horseback riding. With the aid of the ReWalk suit, she’s added
one more item to her list of impressive achievements: the London Marathon. It might have taken her sixteen days to
complete the 26.2 mile course, but how many of us with normal ability manage a two-mile walk each day?
Unfortunately, even in a bionic
reality created out of yesterday’s dreams, technology such as the ReWalk suit
remains out of the grasp of most people.
Claire had to borrow the $70,000 suit, but as of today’s writing, her accomplishment
has raised over $270,000 for Spinal Research.
So, while Claire may not work in the medical or technology fields, she
is doing her part to create a better future for all of us.
To some, Science Fiction is
just entertainment. Over the years, many
have derided my love for the genre by labeling it as escapist fiction. But I think we all know, deep down, that it
is much more than that. Science Fiction
allows us to dream about a better tomorrow.
Perhaps all of us cannot conceive of powerful dreams that will make
their way into print, or onto TV and movie screens. But by daring to dream, by encouraging others
to dream, and by supporting the dreams of others, we can aid people like Martin
Caidin, Kenneth Johnson, Claire Lomas, Amit Goffer, and all those who help transform today’s dreams into a better tomorrow.
Still daring to dream,
Dragon Dave
Related Dragon Cache entries
Related Internet Links
In addition to "Hello" magazine, and the sources listed above, I’d also like to thank:
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