The Amazing Power of Science gives Danish man Prosthetic Hand that can feel

Link: http://www.livescience.com/43125-man-gets-first-bionic-hand-that-feels.html

A fireworks accident damaged the left hand and arm, resulting in amputation, of a danish man by the name of Dennis Aabo Sørensen.  Today he has been given the chance to live "what feels like" a normal life.  How is this possible?  Well, researchers stimulated his nerves that remained by embedding them with electrodes, and then touching sensors in a prosthetic hand.  With the new hand, Sorenson is able to appropriately grasp items and recognize the objects by feeling the objects just any normal human.
  

The picture to the left is of Sorenson recognizing an object threw touch with his futuristic new prosthetic hand.  If the new prosthetic hand is proven to function properly for the long term, as well as in more people, then this system of new prosthetics could enhance the quality of life for people who currently use prosthetics.  This newly found creation can benefit people because the sense of touch is so important to people in our everyday lives.  We need touch to know how we should go about grasping an object and how much force to grasp it with.  Without touch, then the whole process of grasping objects is out of whack and we would not be able to even grasp the most basic of items.

Another gain from this new prosthetic is that Sorenson sometimes tested the hand while blindfolded and with earplugs in so that he could only rely on his sense of touch.  In these tests, he was able to differentiate between soft, hard, and medium objects, as well being able to feel the objects stiffness and shape, and control his force for grasping an object.

Nature of Science Themes:

• Science is collaborative
• Science is based on evidence
• Importance of repeatability
• Role of curiosity and motivation
• Person's view & experience can influence data