At Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, two previously blind men in their 50s are the first to try out “bionic eyes” that will partially restore their eyesight, enabling them to observe and identify simple objects. If their trial is succeeds, the devices could be approved for general use within three years. The two men each have an inherited disease, called retinitis pigmentosa, which affects around 25,000 people in Britain alone. The devices provide images, through tiny cameras attached on a band around the waist, to the back of the retinas. Doctors say it should take the men a couple months to get used to using the devices. Since 2004, select people in America with damaged retinas have also been testing out the devices.
This story is very influential. If this medical breakthrough ends up working, people around the world can have a chance to save their eyesight. People who were once blind will now be able to see. This gigantic medical breakthrough story also provides service to the general public, for it gives them hope and keeps them updated on current medical issues. This story has oddity because it isn’t every day that doctors say they can cure a person who is nearly blind. And who would think that a “fake” eyeball could enable someone to see? (The Guardian, p. 5, 4/22/08)
My favorite article to read, yet the most disturbing story that I read, was about the couple who got hit by a train at Harlow Mill Station in Essex, England. According to police and observers, the couple had been “tussling”, or arguing, on the tracks as the 80 mph train approached. The conductor took notice of the people and tried to break, but the train was going too fast and couldn’t stop in time. The sad thing is, witnesses say that the young man may have tried to pull the woman to safety, but he couldn’t do it in time. I think this story really plays into people’s desire for a human interest story. It really left me feeling sad for the couple that their last minutes together were spent arguing instead of making up. It must really have been a hard scene to witness. The story provides timeliness and impact, as it noted how the incident on the tracks affected mass transit operations for quite some time, while delaying peoples’ commutes. (The Guardian, p. 11, 4/16/08)
The leaders of the Islamist movement Hamas accepted a two-state peace agreement with Israel, according to former U.S. president Jimmy Carter. (The Guardian, p. 5, 4/22/08). Pope Benedict XVI delivered an impassioned speech at the U.N. in New York urging for greater international cooperation on human rights. (The Guardian, p. 17, 4/19/08). 107,000 refugees who have been living in camps in Nepal for 17 years face renewed tension after a surprise election victory by Maoists. (The Guardian, p. 35, 4/20/ 08). The U.S. and Britain are putting strong pressure on southern African states and China to stop a Chinese ship that is carrying weapons for the Zimbabwean government and is docking in the region, according to British officials. (The Guardian, p. 14, 4/23/08). The ABC network was accused of “bias and triviality” after its airing of the latest debate between Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. (The Guardian, p. 19, 4/18/08).
