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back to article The Terminator, coming to a reality near you

Researchers at the University of Newcastle in the UK have demonstrated a communication pathway between living cells and electronics. The recipe is based on genetically-engineered protein cells from the ovaries of a Chinese hamster, which produce nitric oxide (NO) when exposed to light. The mutant cells where then coupled to a …

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  1. Thorne
    Thumb Up

    I for one

    Welcome our new Chinese genetically enhanced cyber hamster overlords

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    1. Androgynous Crackwhore
      Reply Icon
      Terminator

      Re: I for one

      Shouldn't that be our new Geordie genetically enhanced cyber Chinese hamster overlords?

      Have an upvote anyway... I fear resistance may be futile

      1 0

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  2. simbr

    So.. what I got from this is that you can genetic engineer a hamster to get an erection when you shine a light on it.

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    1. Androgynous Crackwhore
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      Childcatcher

      Should come in handy in certain rock 'n' roll circles.

      0 0
    2. Robert Grant
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      Happy

      Re; simbr

      So.. what I got from this is that you can genetic engineer a hamster to get an erection when you shine a light on it.

      That's one Top Gear episode to miss.

      2 0
  3. LinkOfHyrule
    Paris Hilton

    I have already invented a way to interface hamsters and electronics - stick a small dynamo on its wheel and use it to charge up my phone! I got a grant from David Cameron to do this as part of the government's energy strategy!

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  4. badger31
    WTF?

    overcome a fundamental problem in the creation of “bio-hybrid” robot

    Phew! For a while there I thought we'd never have bio-hybrid robots. I'll sleep better tonight.

    1 0
  5. Arachnoid

    Hamsters bah.......its Elephant DNA ya need, its so clever it never forgets anything and you can fit four in a mini.

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  6. frank ly

    Oh Dear

    "... Oh, and the cells are able to reproduce themselves, ..."

    Can anybody guess the consequences?

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  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Mashup

    ....."your mother was a (Chinese) Hamster (Terminator) and your father smelt of elderberries (and had to regularly be exposed to light to get the NOx flowing for his penile recetion deficiency) ..."

    oh dear.

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  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Oh boy...

    Sounds more like Ziggy from Quantum Leap than a Terminator.

    0 0
  10. annodomini2

    Chemical response

    Probably bit slow for brain to computer interface then.

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    1. Longrod_von_Hugendong
      Reply Icon
      Boffin

      Re: Chemical response

      Given our customers - no, not all.

      3 0
  11. Mike Moyle

    Prosthetic limbs?

    If this can be engineered so that the existing motor nerves that used to be used to, say, move the fingers in a now-missing hand can operate robotic ones, this could do wonders for prosthetics.I wonder if it can be made to operate in reverse -- making resistance to movement in a prosthetic limb flash a signal to the appropriate sensory nerve for full feedback-controlled prosthetics...

    This will be an interesting technology to follow in the next few years.

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  12. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Not necessary for a terminator

    The terminator is a robot covered with skin, no interface between the skin and terminator's circuits required. That's actually a much easier problem (for man/machine interface, at least) than making an artificial hand that can be controlled by existing nerves, which this is a step towards.

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  14. boothamshaw

    budget over-run on bionic man project imminent

    Initial estimates of $6 000 000 may fall somewhat short of final total, NASA reports today...

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