One of the sports topics that I actively track - the use of prosthetics in competitive sports. The article nicely captures the key developments and bioethics surrounding this.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3357051
What will we make of the day when athletes proactively remove their body parts and undergo restorative or reconstructive surgery for biomechanically better ones? When the disabled becomes abled again, and the abled turns superabled. Already we hear stories of passionate pianists who snip the webs in between their fingers so as to stretch beyond an octave on the keyboard. Lasik is a commontype restorative surgery now. Probing along the slippery slope, is it really so unthinkable for athletes to inflict something extreme upon themselves? What is shocking to us now may hardly raise eyebrows in 10-15 years.
A mash of several socio-medical trends and dynamics, this space remains interesting to watch. The debate continues.
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