WhennAnders Gustav Ekeberg was born in Sweden on this date in 1767, I’mnsure nobody thought he would contribute to making human-machinenhybrids…bionic men and women…cyborgs!
nnn
n
n
n
n
nFornone thing, it was the 1700s!
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nButnthis deaf man went to Uppsala University, studied chemistry, and wentnon to discover tantalum in 1802.
n
n
n
nAnd this metal, it turns out, doesnnot react with bodily fluids. So it is now used to make surgicalnequipment, implants, artificial joints, cranial plates, and manynother medical items.
n
n
n
n
n
nThanksnto Ekeberg’s tantalum, we now have tons of people running around whonare part human and part machine.
n
n
n
n
n
nEek!
n
n
n
n
n
n
Actually,nit’s not “eek” at all. Many people are alive today who would notnbe without their pacemakers or insulin pumps. Others live morencomfortable and happy lives thanks to their hearing aids or tantalumnknees. There are many, many other medical uses for tantalum. I willnleave it to you to wonder how many people you know who are partnhuman, part tantalum!
Actually,nit’s not “eek” at all. Many people are alive today who would notnbe without their pacemakers or insulin pumps. Others live morencomfortable and happy lives thanks to their hearing aids or tantalumnknees. There are many, many other medical uses for tantalum. I willnleave it to you to wonder how many people you know who are partnhuman, part tantalum!n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n(Bynthe way, tantalum is also used to make non-medical items such asnparts for planes, missiles, nuclear power plants, and so forth.)
n
n
n
n
n
nAlsonon this date:
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nReligious Freedom Day
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nNationalnNothing Day
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nAppreciatena Dragon Day
nn
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nGreatnDay for Skates
nn
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n