Cyborgs Are Among Us Already

While fully sentient robots are still not yet at the capability of becoming our overlords, the synthetic/human hybrid is real, and thoroughly terrifying.

People who have lost the use of their hands have begun to opt for amputation and replacement with a bionic hand. Using a human’s normal brain function, the hand can be used with great finesse – completing even such delicate tasks as tying shoelaces.

View the video below, and realize now that we are in the future.

In seriousness, this is an amazing leap forward in technology that’s already revitalizing the lives of those suffering debilitating injuries. What will science come up with next?

Tornado Kills At Least 89

At least 89 people have been killed after a tornado strike in Joplin, Missouri — the deadliest since the Worcester Twister of 1953 — damaged or destroyed over 2,000 buildings (30% of the town), including St. John’s Regional Medical Center, one of Joplin’s two hospitals.

Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency, as the number of casualties was expected to rise. “I’ve been to about 75 disasters, and I’ve never seen anything quite like this before,” National Red Cross spokesman Michael Spencer told the AP. “It cut the city in half,” said Joplin fire chief Mitch Randles.

The same storm system produced 70 reported tornadoes across the Midwest, including a series of deadly tornado touchdowns in the Twin Cities, which killed at least one person in Minneapolis and caused widespread damage and power outages in surrounding communities.

Robert Fitzpatrick reacts to doomsday false alarm

 Seth Abramovitch — Harold Camping speaks! The 89-year-old Nostradamus from Northern California, who spent millions of his followers' dollars to get out the word that the world was ending on Saturday, has been noticeably silent since that day came and went rather unremarkably. But he's at last ready to talk — and oy, what a weekend. Don't get him started.

Appearing at his front door, sfgate.com reports, Camping told the crowd of journalists and angry followers that "it has been a really tough weekend."

[T]here was Camping, "flabbergasted" in Alameda, wearing tan slacks, a tucked-in polo shirt and a light jacket. [...]

"I'm looking for answers," Camping said, adding that meant frequent prayer and consultations with friends.

"But now I have nothing else to say," he said, closing the door to his home. "I'll be back to work Monday and will say more then."

Sure, easy for him to say! What about poor Robert Fitzpatrick, the former MTA employee we told you about earlier, who spent his savings on doomsday subway ads and billboards. Here's video of him being accosted by an angry mob in Times Square. Downside: No apocalypse. Upside: Jersey Boys is half-off at the TKTS booth! [sfgate, video via Daily What]