Let There be Light in the Inner Ear
"An implant which works by firing infrared light into the inner ear is being investigated by US researchers."
(United Kingdom)—Have you ever had someone—in the course of praying for a personal, physical healing—ask if you "feel any heat" in your body? I have. It's an interesting concept and (although there appears to be no biblical precedent for such a question) it hints at the theory that when God touches someone (as in healing) there may be a recognition, or manifestation of that touch, and for that, there are biblical examples. That is, if you count crying, jumping, and shouting for joy, as manifestations of God's divine intervention in our lives.
With that in mind, a new report from BBC News sheds light (pun not intended) on a new ear implant being investigated in the US which works by firing infrared light into the inner ear. Guess why scientists think the light waves activate hearing? That's right: heat.
A spokesman for the UK charity RNID said that cochlear implants had "transformed the lives" of many people and, in theory, this research might offer a way to improve the technology.
"One of the things that is really interesting—if it does work—is that the specificity from a laser is really quite exciting. One of the big problems with cochlear implants is their lack of specificity. This could be a major breakthrough, but we have to remember that even if that true, the time between demonstrating this and developing a device will be quite significant, perhaps as much as 10 years."
Until then, are you feeling The Heat?
