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"One of the great tragedies of mankind is that morality has been hijacked by religion. So now people assume that religion and morality have a necessary connection."
- Arthur C. Clarke
 |
| Dixon Pump | ||
| An temporary mechanical heart to circulate blood. |
Although this is a fairly early sf reference, the first machine to replace the heart in circulating blood to the body was created in 1952 and used successfully in several different procedures. Prototypes used successfully in animals date from 1949.
| He glanced up from his work for a moment. Into the girl's chest he had plugged a Dixon pump; it had taken over temporarily the job of her uneven heart...
"Keep the people back," Parsons said, and resumed work. The throb of the robot pump gave him confidence; it had been inserted very well, and the load had left the girl's circulatory system. |
| From Dr. Futurity,
by Philip K. Dick. Published by Ace Books in 1960 Additional resources -
|
Here's another description, this time detailing the installation process:
Dick implies that the mechanical heart is effectively a robot; it is a self-regulating device.
He punctured the rib cage and plugged the Dixon pump into the vascular system, bypassing the suspended heart. The pump went immediately to work. Blood flowed.
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and Technology by Philip K. Dick
Tech news articles related to Dr. Futurity
Tech news articles related to works by Philip K. Dick
Dixon Pump-related
news articles:
- Patient Walks Out With Fully Artificial Heart
| Wound Healing With Wearable Nanogenerators |
| EXPLORER, The First Total-Body Scanner |
| Bioreactor Helps Legless Frogs Get Their Jump Back |
| Sleeep PRO Earplug For Maximum Rest |
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