Science-fiction writers and filmmakers are the innovators of the technological world. They inspire engineers and scientists to think beyond previous limitations and turn fiction into reality. 2015 saw many of these sci-fi dreams become reality.
In Oryx and Crake, pigoons, genetically modified pigs with a taste for human flesh, carry copies of human organs. This reference might have inspired one bioengineering firm that has its own genetically modified pig-organ breeding program. Perhaps Harvard’s George Church was inspired by the genetically modified creatures in The Wind Up Girl to spliced woolly mammoth genes into an Asian elephant’s genome. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a constant inspiration for biologist to push the limits of the human body. And no one is pushing this boundary further than Sergio Canavero, a surgeon who hopes to do a head transplant as early as 2017.
Alexis Gajewski has over 15 years of experience in the maintenance, reliability, operations, and manufacturing space. She joined Plant Services in 2008 and works to bring readers the news, insight, and information they need to make the right decisions for their plants. Alexis also authors “The Lighter Side of Manufacturing,” a blog that highlights the fun and innovative advances in the industrial sector.
