Previous models of this same device did actually provide some sensation. "An earlier, portable model of the hand was temporarily attached to Pierpaolo Petruzziello in 2009, who lost half his arm in a car accident. He was able to move the bionic hand’s fingers, clench them into a fist and hold objects. He said that he could feel the sensation of needles pricked into the hand’s palm." (http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/a-sensational-breakthrough-the-first-bionic-hand-that-can-feel-8498622.html) So they have pretty good reason to hope that it will provide some feeling at least.

Reminds me of an article I saw from BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21142870) showing that one of the key differences between dogs and wolves was in brain development. Dog are essentially mentally handicapped and stuck in a permanent state of puppyhood. Maybe that's why they don't move in "energy efficient" ways. Either that or running is just fun.

So when people need to run, they run, but if they don't need to run, they don't? Is that really all this is saying? I sure hope there is some more technical benefit to the field of prostheses or this study was probably a waste of money.

"I before e except after c and when sounding like a as in neighbor and weigh, and on weekends and holidays and all throughout May, and you'll always be wrong no matter what you say!" "That's a hard rule. That's a— that's a rough rule." - Comedian Brian Regan

Of how life imitates sci-fi. I distinctly remember a research project in the computer game Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri called the Human Brain Project. If I'm remembering right it turned normal citizens into super smart "Talents". It will be interesting to see the effect of the real world version.

It seems like every couple of months some solar cell breaks a different barrier. A slashdot story from November (http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/11/03/2010244/solar-panel-breaks-third-of-a-sun-efficiency-barrier) clocked some solar panel as being 33.5% efficient. Are they measuring on different scales or definitions of efficiency or something?

"Inconceivable!" You're right that it isn't really "cheating", but it is less fun (for me at least) to play against an opponent with an unfair advantage

Not being able to "solve" games like chess like you can with Tic-Tac-Toe (http://xkcd.com/832/) is what makes them fun and playable. Otherwise it quickly gets boring. It's also why it isn't always as fun to play against the computer on really high levels. They can cheat and solve the next bajillion moves.

Because it would suck to have that many wires connecting all the PaperTabs together. And while it's flexibility makes it less likely to break when dropped, isn't there a risk of it being torn, or mistaken for regular paper and thrown away or shredded?

Also true. But if it's a known species they could find it and sequence it to compare. If it matches you're good, but if it isn't a match you know to keep looking for something new.