BIOCOMPUTERS TO ALTER THE WORLD 

Bio-computers by the 1990's will change the face of medicine and man. Man has now sucessfully bonded a Human neural brain cell, grown in tissue culture, to a Motorola 68000 microprocessor! This is but the first step in a process that will allow direct interconnections between humans and the inorganic. None of the scientists, being traditional conservatives will say this but the implications are clear and direct. Man is no longer evolving along an exclusively organic carbon-dated path. I can see the day when children will be bionic from birth!

These shattering new discoveries are occuring at the Playsair Research Unit of the Toronto Western Hospital where they have developed three dimensional imaging techniques that are modeling the human nervous system which they say is one BILLION times more sophisticated than any other circuitry known to man. Byte Magazine was so impressed they devoted eight pages to their developments and the picture shown here appeared on the cover of the Journal of Neuroscience.

This key team of medical researchers includes Drs. William Tatton Vice President of research at Toronto Western and founding director of the Playfair Neuroscience Unit and Dr. John K. Stevens, Prof. of Biomedical Engineering at Playfair. They are trying to incorporate these techniques into a system that looks like it may be the answer to spiraling medical costs. Here's how.

Bio-computers by the 1990s will have mapped the human nervous system which appears to be by far, the most sophisticated communications system yet found. Eventually we will be able to send specific messages via human tendrites to specific cells when instructed. These internal body communications will tell the body to accept implants thus "turning off" the body's normal rejection system in this particular area. They could also instruct the body to release more (or less) of specific bodily chemicals to correct imbalances or specific diseases. Messages can be site or disease specific.

Just as industries have realized that they must spend more on Research and Development if they are to stay in business so too are some hospitals arriving at the same conclusion. Without solutions to the rising cost of health care we might find outselves burdened with hospitals financially unable to operate (no pun intended).

The utter complexity of what they are attempting is shown in the fact that 10 million or more eye cells handle more computing in one second than the present model of Cray Supercomputer could simulate in 100 years according to Dr. Stevens. The research is being directed to reduce the economic burden of ill health. Many brain disorders hit people when they are young destroying their productive years. They also then require others to spend their lives caring for them. This combined cost over the years is tremendous. Almost any breakthrough releases millions for other, yet unsolved problems.

The first goal is to build a Sixth Generation super computer capable of changing 3-D geometry to silicon-based circuits that simulate brain circuits. Following that bio-chips, where the cell and the chip come together is a further goal. Then using living membrance processes to replace the silicon interface. This is all part of the new emerging field of Bioware. It is showing that the human nervous system is a similar but much more complex system than any micro-computer network.

The long-term results of such a progression of developments is that we will be able to program our body to effectively fight illness, disease and physical injury.

It is very revolutionary -- and evolutionary! More information: Noel Moore, Publisher, The Delta Report, 113 Alcina Ave., Toronto, Ontario M6G 2E7.

Phone: 416-651-1427.

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