My cyborg sister

"A piece of silicone less than 2 inches wide keeps my sister alive," Crave Senior Editor Leslie Katz wrote of her sister, Rachel, earlier this year. Readers responded with kindness and well wishes to the story of Rachel's most recent brain surgery to replace an apparatus that drains excess cerebrospinal fluid that would otherwise over-accumulate inside her skull owing to a congenital condition.

"An article like this reminds me that, at the heart of things, technology is about controlling things that not-so-long-ago couldn't be controlled," wrote reader gefitz. "It gives us the idea that thinking of the future, no matter how much we wring our hands in fear, can be a very hopeful experience!"

Happily, Rachel continues to do well almost eight months post-op.

Click to continue reading "My cyborg sister: When life-saving gadgets break down."