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Here are a few pa
of on your next outdoor
a a
Leave your speaker/
music device at home

Music in shared spaces is. always a
polarizing thing. The same people who
blast their tunes at the beach or in the
park for everyone to hear are likely
going to be the same people who bring
beats on the trail. Do everyone.a favour
and use headphones instead. Either
that, or forgo packing any musie. for the
hike and listen to the birds or nearby
stream or whatever else Mother Nature's
soundboard has to offer. The majority of
hikers aren’t interested in your musical
tastes, so just leave the speaker at home.

Let people pass you

Trails attract hikers of every skill level. For

some people, it might be their first time
on a hike and they're slowly clambering
over stones; others know the trail by heart
and can comfortably run it. If you notice
hikers are trailing close behind you, step
to the side and let them go past. Chances
are they're moving at a quicker pace

and will appreciate going ahead of you.
Similarly, if you're part of a larger group
and there are people behind you, give
them the opportunity to scuttle ahead.and
get-awayairom the congestion and noise.

Artificially yours

> Bionic vs prosthetic limbs

Brittney MacDonald
Life & Style Editor

 

ik the media, it is not often
that the future is portrayed as
something to look forward to.
Technological advancements,
especially when these
advancements interact directly
with humans, are shown as
dehumanizing. Well, call me

an idealist, but I have never
subscribed to this belief. I

don’t think that the general
population should be so quick
to dismiss some of the really
amazing scientific breakthroughs
that we are experiencing now,
including bionic limbs.

For anyone who doesn’t have
to deal with the day-to-day reality
of wearing a prosthetic limb—
myself included—it can be easy
to ignore or be unaware of what
advantages a bionic appendage
may claim. If youre wondering
about the difference between the
two, you're not alone. From what
I’ve gathered, modern prosthetic
limbs are artificial devices relying

on external force or stimuli to

perform a function. A step is

taken by a person physically

lifting and shifting the leg, as
opposed to a natural limb where
we have muscles and nerves within
it to let our various biological
components know to take the
step. To use a crude analogy, it’s
basically the difference between
having to pick up a heavy box
versus using a fork lift.

Bionic limbs use electro-
mechanics to better mimic the
function of nerves. These are both
internal and external, meaning
they can be attached on the
surface of the skin, and they can
be surgically implanted. This
alone makes the manipulation of
the artificial limb more akin to a
natural process, because it creates
a line of communication between
the mechanics of the appendage
and the brain. The brain can
then control the artificial limb
as it would a natural one, as
opposed to the individual having
to consciously lift and shift as
they would a prosthetic limb. In
doing so you not only create a

Pack out what.you pack in
The same.courtesies that govern our 2H
city lives apply to the outdoors. Most :

or dependent vem NI Tnae-D oT i

Nee Ioye wie (oles Pile elites a few bags are
biodegradable now, but people interpret
that as being okay to leave their crap
bags along the trail because it breaks
down. Just because it’s biodegradable
doesn’t mean | want it impairing my
view of the beautiful landscape, nora
do I want to have to suffer thesmell, =
Those bags aren’t airtight#Either have.a
separate plastic bag in your backpack so
" =.you can doublesbag-the poop and take

‘ : it with.yow Or stash it somewhere-along
é path Where you'lltemember to take
if With you on the way back down:

er

better language of movement—
meaning the individual can
move more naturally, even right
after amputation—but you also
reduce fatigue for the operator.

Due to the use of integrated
(internally implanted) bionics,
we not only have the opportunity
to better bridge the gap for
individuals who have missing
limbs, we are also presented
with a future where restoring
sensation, such as touch and
sight, isn’t very far off.

While I find all of this
fascinating from an outsider
perspective, I am also well
aware of how this might change
someone's life. I have never had
to deal with being physically
limited, and I don’t want anyone
else to either. Thankfully, that
might not be a problem for long.