The new frontiers in health

This week we look at how design concepts, interventions and enhancements can help “cure” medical issues.

Health is wealth and there are a wealth of medical advancements that harness the power of design. This week we look at how design concepts, interventions and enhancements can help “cure” medical issues, and how design has a robust role in promoting better health and wellness.

GENE EDITING

This year’s Nobel Prize for Chemistry has gone to ingenious duo Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna who have come up with one of the most important scientific breakthroughs of the last decade - a “simple” way of editing genes. The work of these Laureates could change the face of medicine, agriculture and well, everything…
 

SUN BLOCK

Allergic to the sun like Spanish artist SiiGii? Then don her inflatable latex jumpsuit that is part lilo part swimsuit, making it safe to float on the pool or ocean if your skin needs ultra-protection.
 

CONTROL BIRTH CONTROL

It’s surprising how difficult it can be to remember to take a daily pill. The zero-effort Emme smart case and App eases the memory burden by keeping tabs on what’s what via automatic tracking. Not a bitter pill to swallow…
 

MIND-BLOWING

Fancy a brain implant that will let you interface with machines? You can get one from Elon Musk, who’s also developed the surgical robot to insert it into your skull.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Bump Galaxy was built during lockdown in response to the need for connection. It is a virtual world and community aimed to assist with mental health and care.

 

MIND MASSAGE

Fans of ASMR – that’s Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response – love the sensation they experience when ordinary sounds are amplified. This feel-good factor, dubbed a “braingasm”, has been incorporated into various wellness offerings after fadding on YouTube.

FAST HEALING 

The era of the healing café has arrived, allowing stressed-out urbanites to drop in for a treatment on the trot. Think massage chairs, calming music, and soothing scents.