April 2, 2007

Heart to Heart


In this case, it will rather be natural heart to grown one. A team headed by Sir Magdi Yacoub has succeeded in growing a heart valve from stem cells, he believes that within a decade it will be possible to grow the whole heart using the same procedure. That should mean that other vital organs could also be grown. I am flabbergasted. Can't even start to imagine how it is going to change the world as we know it.
There is a joke they used to say in Pharaonic times about Ramses II as he was given by the high priests a turtle for his Golden Jubilee, he was told that these animals lived for 2 to 300 years and he answered "well, we will see". With the growing of organs now in the realm of the possible, one could imagine a scary future, a return to the dark ages with a political system that would become eternal. This does not change the fact that I am proud of the Egyptian King of Hearts.
Wikipedia Magdi Yacoub
The Royal Society fellowship article calls him the King of Heart. Wasn't this Saddam's Special Security Organization man? Maybe for his security and for an always needed Egypt publicity stunt they should rename him as the Heart Pharaoh.


Ramses II on his way to his new home through Tahrir Square

BBC pictures of Ramses move

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