Frankenstein and the Pacemaker - How Science and Fiction Saved Lives

Author: MF Thomas, Creator & Host
Published: Tue 06 Jul 2021
Episode Link: None

So where did the idea of using an artificial electrical impulse to control the heartbeat begin? Well, as with most scientific progress, there’s a long chain of contributors, but I want to talk today about a transformational role played by an inquisitive man from Minneapolis, Minnesota named Earl Bakken; and the inspiration he got from a movie he saw when he was just a little boy.

Listen To find out more about:

How Mary Shelly's Frankenstein influenced the invention of the pacemaker.
The Life of Mary Shelly, and the circumstances that lead to her writing Frankenstein
How Earl Bakken and other scientists invented the pacemaker
Earl Bakken (credited inventor of the pacemaker) and his life
The first battery and how it was invented

For Full show notes visit: mydarkpath.com

Sources

REFERENCES/ADDITIONAL READING:

Tufts Now: Think you know your Frankenstein?

Thought Co: Frankenstein Themes, Symbols, and Literary Devices

Sparknots: Frankenstein

New York Times: Earl E Bakken Obituary

Eetimes: Pacemaker was born of a blackout

Csoonline: What are the security implications of Elon Musk’s neuralink?

NBC News: Elon Musk’s Neuralink puts Chips in Pigs Brains

Encyclopeida: Luigi Galvani

Health Grades: Pacemakers

Heart: Pacemaker