This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
posted on behalf of news editor Lisa Stein: Well isn't this special. Britain's Daily Mail reports that so-called performance artist Stelios Arcadious, a Cypriot-born Australian, had an ear implanted into his arm. And why, pray tell, did he do that? Seems he believes that art "should be more than simply illustrating." Toward that end, the newspaper says, Arcadious, 61, a former research fellow at Nottingham Trent University's Digital Research Unit, had a surgeon implant a human ear (grown from cells in a lab) into his left forearm. The next step in his living exhibit? "I hope to have a tiny microphone implanted [in]to it that will connect with a Bluetooth transmitter," he said. "That way, you can listen to what my ear is hearing." Art? Maybe. Perhaps there's a scientific use for this too.. Like a human version of the Vacanti Mouse, maybe Mr. Arcadious could offer himself up for research in cellular regeneration and grow all sorts of cartilaginous structures off his body, not to mention help save countless lab mice from such a grotesque fate? So what do you think? Art? Science? Insanity? LS