The MacArthur Foundation has announced their grant winners today, and they are both: a) awesome, and b) from Seattle.
Yoky Matsuoka is combining robotics with neurology to create some pioneering work in the area of human prosthetic limbs, controlled by thoughts alone. Pretty soon you too can be Luke Skywalker!
Mark Roth is a biologist best known for discovering new ways of preserving laboratory mice in a state of suspended animation, without killing them. The mice are brought into a state of metabolic torpor where their breathing, metabolism and core temperature are reduced to what is more or less a standstill. The mice can then be revived with absolutely no ill effects. The potential application for humans, treatment of disease, surgery, etc. is endless. But who cares? It’s FUCKING ZOMBIE MICE!! That’s awesome.
They each get $500,000, no strings whatsoever attached. Play on, geniuses!
