Electric Shock: How Electricity Could Be The Key To Human Regeneration

by Cynthia Graber (Writer), Seth Mnookin (Editor), Sophia Li (Fact checker)

Regenerative medicine has long targeted the impossible — regrowing a diseased organ, or a hand lost in an accident. But biologist Michael Levin thinks an astonishing breakthrough may be within reach.

He has resurrected a much-maligned branch of science, and shown that a little-understood process can trigger remarkable feats of regeneration in animals. As his research advances, he's moving us closer to the day when regeneration is possible in people.

But Levin isn't focused on genetics or stem cells. His secret is electricity. Long dismissed as quackery thanks to its "Frankenstein" connotations, the idea that charge and voltage help shape our bodies is now being revived. In this profile from new digital publisher MATTER, award-winning science journalist Cynthia Graber traces Levin's roots from Moscow to Massachusetts — and describes how his ideas are about to face their biggest test yet.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

27 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 17, 2012

Reviews

[José Pedro Gomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

People usually don't know what they are reading, I mean in terms of quality-fact writings, so embedded they are with trash news or sensationalist media. Matter as far as I'm concerned to say for reading its articles, is specialized in top fact-proven journalistic scientific material. The article is not just an article, like in science it was submitted to scrutinizing by several layers of specialized journalistic people who verify its veracity and correctness.

I think people aren't aware of this as they took everything they've read as true. But this process of validation adds immense quality to the writing itself and should be immensely valued.

From Prometheus to Frankenstein to electrical study of regeneration this is another great article with a stamp of quality.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and interesting long form article about modern electrical biologist Michael Levin. His work is fascinating and the ramifications are profound. I looked up the youtube video of tadpole electrical development photographed at Tufts. It's marvelous! The piece is a bit puffy and I would liked to hear from more additional voices and perspectives.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a long article -- about 27 pages. It was also my first foray into audio books, and I found my mind wandering occasionally.

The topic was interesting, but this was a brief overview of the possibility of using electricity for regeneration. The researcher working on this program has achieved regeneration in frogs, but of course that's a very far cry from human regeneration.

[Derrick Schultz]

Another great MATTER article.