[ExI] nursing homes, was RE: NYT: Happiness May Come With Age, Study Says

Mike Dougherty msd001 at gmail.com
Fri Jun 4 04:03:03 UTC 2010


On Thu, Jun 3, 2010 at 11:31 PM, spike <spike66 at att.net> wrote:
> Imagine this device operating continuously, providing a VR to the patient,
> removing solid waste, tilting this way and that, with a cycle lasting
> perhaps 10 minutes so that the motion is imperceptible to the patient.
>
> Wouldn't that be the ticket?  Would not we be setting up something analogous
> to the Chinese opium houses?  We could arrange for the sick elderly to have
> some fun with their last little bit of time.

How about the sensory deprivation tank filled with heavier than salt
water nutrient bath and instead of deprivation it provides stimulation
via the VR setup you're proposing?  Take away the sensation of gravity
altogether.  Or for the truly wealthy, move them to orbiting hospice -
no need to worry about the loss of muscle tone if there is no plan to
return to earth.  Sure the fragile would have to worry about
uncontrolled bumping into stuff, but that could be managed with
probably less restricted motion than they get while sedated in a bed
as it is.  I guess the problem then would be how to get to space
without the multiple g's the healthiest astronauts must withstand at
takeoff.

You know that "space-aged" memory foam they make mattresses out of?
what about making a sabot[1] around a person?  Then you could rotate
them in your 3+ axis chair without risk of falling out/off the rig.
If it was heated to "cozy" temps, it would probably be comfortable as
well as provide healthier circulation for the literally thin-skinned
elderly.  The VR inputs could be facial expression and eye-tracking
-aware, as well as voice activated - so moving arms and legs are
unnecessary.  Manual dexterity such as keyboard and mouse would also
be unavailable (both from user capability and physical constraints of
the rig)

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabot




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