Close your eyes and you can get a sense of the challenges of blindness; a sense of deafness by plugging your ears. However, the most difficult of the five senses to understand the devastating impact of its loss is touch.
Dustin Tyler, associate professor of biomedical engineering, will discuss the emerging field of devices for sensory restoration that are leading the evolution of a new era in prostheses in the upcoming session of Science Café Cleveland on Monday, Aug. 11.
The neuroscience behind the devices is that the perception of feeling one’s finger, for example, is actually a consequence of activity in the brain, not the finger itself. These man-made systems are being engineered to artificially control the brain circuitry so the user literally feels his or her hand—the missing hand—touching and manipulating objects.
Science Cafe Cleveland is in the Tasting Room at Great Lakes Brewing Co., 2701 Carroll Ave., Cleveland.Doors will be open from 5:30 to 9 p.m. The discussion will begin around 7 p.m. The Tasting Room will also host a limited menu before and during the event. Those interested in attending are advised to arrive early, as some cafes have reached capacity.
The Case Western Reserve chapter of Sigma Xi, WCPN ideastream and the Great Lakes Brewing Co. sponsor Science Café Cleveland.