Saw a couple of new problematic
technological advances recently. One was this new parking assist feature on the
Ford Escape. The commercial I saw had different people in Escapes looking
around excitedly with their hands off the wheel while the car parked itself
into a parallel parking slot.
Finally, a good use for technology.
Who hasn't tried to parallel park with traffic coming and panicked and done it
wrong. Relatively easy when there's no one on the street that wants to get by.
Even easier when there's no one on the sidewalk watching. Parallel parking
always gets exponentially harder in direct proportion to the number of folks
observing you.
How cool that your car can now park
itself. One problem though. Does this still mean the Department of Licensing
will require you to take a parallel parking test before you get your license?
Why should they? You don't have to prove you can drive a three-speed on the
column gearshift anymore. Automatic parallel parking is the same as an automatic
transmission.
The other problematic techno-marvel
they came up with recently is artificial nostrils. Yep, nostrils. Scientists
have created them in the lab using biodegradable scaffolding and stem cells
from the nostril recipient. I guess you got to start somewhere.
They've also done other body parts,
including ears and various sphincters, so further full-on physical replacements
are only a well-designed scaffold away. Maybe even using 3-D printing.
I wonder though, are we opening the
door to a new wave of cosmetic surgery or adornment? This one featuring parts
we design ourselves? Forget piercing an ear, how about having an ear installed
on your forehead?
Or, a simpler problem: If they gave
you a choice of which new nostril you liked better, how would you pick it?
America, ya gotta love it.
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