Silicon does certain things really well, but so does carbon. I’ve always wondered if the Singularity won’t be that moment when computers surpass humans in cognition but rather a time when the two fuse to form something that’s greater than the sum of the parts. It’s probably inevitable since whatever progress we can dream up will eventually come true. From Katie Drummond’s Wired report about a breakthrough in the neural-prosthetic interface:

“A replacement limb that moves, feels and responds just like flesh and blood. It’s the holy grail of prosthetics research. The Pentagon’s invested millions to make it happen. But it’s been elusive — until, quite possibly, now.

The body’s own nerves are arguably the biggest barrier towards turning the dream of lifelike replacements into a reality. Peripheral nerves, severed by amputation, can no longer transmit or receive any of the myriad sensory signals we rely on every day. Trying to fuse them with robot limbs, to create a direct neural-prosthetic interface, is no easy task.

But now a team of scientists believe they’ve overcome that massive barrier. Their research is still in the early stages. But if successful, it’d yield artificial arms and legs that can move with agility; discern hot from lukewarm from freezing; and restore even the subtlest sensations of touch.

‘We think the interface problem is key to enabling the neuro-prosthetic concept,’ Dr. Shawn Dirk, one of the researchers behind the finding, tells Danger Room. “And solving that is how we’re going to give amputees their bodies back.'”