The Unspeakable Odyssey of the Motionless Boy
How much of our humanity are we prepared to cede to machines? This is a dilemma of the future, but it's not much of a concern for Erik Ramsey. Erik can't move. He can't blink his eyes. And he hasn't said a word since 1999. But now, thanks to an electrode that was surgically implanted in his brain and linked to a computer, his nine-year silence is about to end.
WHO BENEFITS?
TODAY: ALS, Brain Stem Stroke, Other Locked-In Patients
TOMORROW: Spinal Cord Injured, Cyborgs, Enhancement of
Normal Humans
However, very soon after the accident, a speech therapist discovered that there remained one peephole in the otherwise impenetrable wall that kept Erik sequestered in his cell of flesh and bones. Because he could still look up and down, he could still say yes and no. "Up for heaven, down for hell," the therapist told him.
clipped from: www.esquire.com 