Dutch biologist Cornelis Vlasman has presented the world with Oscar, an experiment that is both promising and somewhat sinister-looking.
Oscar is the first modular body based on a “lego” system.
It is a living, organic being formed from the cells of the biologist, although it functions with the help of technology.
In the video, Vlasman shows how his brain module, an all-electric device, connects to the lung module.
The two immediately begin to interact.
He adds a kidney module and connects two limb modules that “start activating the organism to move.”
The experiment looks eerie, as seen in the video below.
“If one organ gets sick, you can easily replace it with a new one,” he explained, suggesting that a modular body could be used as an extra limb module in the future.
“The modular body will become alterable and adaptable to all situations.”
Using his own cells, the biologist spent years building the living organism.
The experiment shows the power of stem cell research to transform into human tissue while highlighting the interaction between technology and the human body.
For Oscar to work, it takes much more than just cells, as the modules in Vlasman’s experiment require an electrical brain to function.
Still, the biologist believes this triggers a new wave of care for the human body.
Instead of printing organs focusing on identical copies for spare parts, he wants something different.
“We need to seize this opportunity,” he says, “not to maintain, but to redefine humanity.”
With information from Rede Bom Dia