Spidergoat-silk + Human Skin = (nearly) Bulletproof Flesh

Bioartist Jalila Essaïdi attempted to create bulletproof human skin by implanting transgenic spider-silk (extracted from a spider-goat, of course) with human skin. Essaïdi was hoping for skin that could stop a 2.6g projectile at 329 m/s (the performance standard for bulletproof vests, apparently), but didn't quite make it.

By implementing this bulletproof matrix of spider silk produced by transgenic goats in human skin I want to explore the social, political, ethical and cultural issues surrounding safety in a world with access to new biotechnologies. Issues which arise on the basis of ancient human desire for invulnerability. It is legend that Achilles, the central character of Homer’s Iliad was invulnerable in all of his body except for his heel. Will we in the near future due to biotechnology no longer need to descend from a godly bloodline in order to have traits like invulnerability?

2.6g 329m/s (via Medgadget)

Spidergoat-silk + human skin = (nearly) bulletproof flesh

Backlink: http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/7DBPlWFspF0/spidergoat-silk-human-skin-nearly-bulletproof-flesh.html

Harry Belafonte's lost, post-apocalyptic screen debut: "The World, the Flesh and the Devil"

Dwiff sez, "Harry Belafonte's screen debut may be of interest to the boingboingeratti - a precursor to The Quiet Earth in many ways - in which Harry Belafonte walks through haunting vistas of a depopulated New York searching for some signs that he is not the last man on Earth following a nuclear disaster. And like The Quiet Earth, he first discovers a woman, and then a man... Anyway, the film is finally out on DVD in a very nice remastered edition - has not looked this good in years."

Harry Belafonte's lost, post-apocalyptic screen debut: "The World, the Flesh and the Devil"

Backlink: http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/1CVX6s6dZYA/harry-belafontes-los.html