Episode 15: Beep Boop

2020-08-28

SUBJECTIVE In this episode, we move on from vampires to talk about robots! Specifically, robot organs. Like, why does a robot need organs? And if it did need organs, why would it need human organs? We'll discuss robot face putty, building biosynthetic organs, and some incredible applications of 3D printing. Also, can we PLEASE change the stylistic standards of scientific papers to allow for some ENTHUSIASM??? This stuff is amazing! Sidebar: Regarding the Pregnancy and Birth episodes, we wanted...

SUBJECTIVE

In this episode, we move on from vampires to talk about robots! Specifically, robot organs. Like, why does a robot need organs? And if it did need organs, why would it need human organs? We'll discuss robot face putty, building biosynthetic organs, and some incredible applications of 3D printing. Also, can we PLEASE change the stylistic standards of scientific papers to allow for some ENTHUSIASM??? This stuff is amazing!

Sidebar:

Regarding the Pregnancy and Birth episodes, we wanted to apologize for the gendered language we used throughout our discussions. We know that nonbinary, genderqueer, and transgender people can also get pregnant and give birth. The way we talk about it is a relic of our training, and we're trying to do better. We're sorry if we hurt anyone through our carelessness.

OBJECTIVE

Resources, Citations, and Mentions:

Wikipedia - Artificial Heart, accessed August 2020
UCSF - The Kidney Project
Wikipedia - Tissue engineering, accessed August 2020
What’s new about new synthetic organs? by Brian Owens, Nature News Blog, July 2011
Tissue engineering: How to build a heart by Brendan Maher, Nature News Feature, July 2013
Yong, E. Lab-grown kidneys transplanted into rats. Nature (2013).
On the Road to 3-D Printed Organs by Emma Yasinski, The Scientist, February 2020
3-D Printed Windpipe Gives Infant Breath of Life by Marissa Fessenden, Scientific American, May 2013
Skylar-Scott MA, Uzel SGM, Nam LL, et al. Biomanufacturing of organ-specific tissues with high cellular density and embedded vascular channels. Sci Adv. 2019;5(9)
Laronda, M., Rutz, A., Xiao, S. et al. A bioprosthetic ovary created using 3D printed microporous scaffolds restores ovarian function in sterilized mice. Nat Commun 8, 15261 (2017).
3 Theories Explaining Why Robots Bleed by Tonya Riley, Inverse, September 2016