Britt Young is a geographer and tech writer based in the Bay Area. She also has what's called a "congenital upper limb deficiency." In other words, she was born without the part of her arm just below her left elbow. She's used different sorts of prosthetic devices her whole life, and in 2018, she celebrated the arrival of a brand new, multi-articulating prosthetic hand. This prosthetic hand has a sleek carbon fiber casing, with specific pre-programmed grips that she can control just by flexing the muscles in her residual limb. She can use a precision pinch to pick a hairpin off of the table, or a Hulk-style power fist to squeeze objects. This kind of assistive technology has been life-changing for a lot of people who have limb differences. But for Britt, in particular, it hasn't been life-changing at all. In fact, her cutting-edge bionic arm has been a pretty major disappointment. "It's just not what you imagine. It's not like I'm like everyone else now, it's something different."
The Lows of High Tech
521- A Sea of Yellow
520- Mini-Stories: Volume 16
519- Balikbayan Boxes
518- Mini-Stories: Volume 15
517- The Divided Dial
516- Cougar Town
515- Super Citizens
405- Freedom House Ambulance Service: American Sirens
514- Train Set: Track Two
Articles of Interest: American Ivy
513- The Safety Bicycle
512- Walk of Fame
511- Vuvuzela
510- Wickedest Sound
509- Tale of the Jackalope
508- President Clinton Interviews Roman Mars
507- Search and Ye Might Find
506- Monumental Diplomacy
505- First Errand
504- Bleep!
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