Ideas worth spreading

This scientist makes ears out of apples

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Andrew Pelling |

TED2016

• February 2016

TED Fellow Andrew Pelling is a biohacker, and nature is his hardware. His favorite materials are the simplest ones (and oftentimes he finds them in the garbage). Building on the cellulose structure that gives an apple its shape, he "grows" lifelike human ears, pioneering a process that might someday be used to repair body parts safely and cheaply. And he has some even wilder ideas to share ... "What I'm really curious about is if one day it will be possible to repair, rebuild and augment our own bodies with stuff we make in the kitchen," he says.

TED Fellow Andrew Pelling is a biohacker, and nature is his hardware. His favorite materials are the simplest ones (and oftentimes he finds them in the garbage). Building on the cellulose structure that gives an apple its shape, he "grows" lifelike human ears, pioneering a process that might someday be used to repair body parts safely and cheaply. And he has some even wilder ideas to share ... "What I'm really curious about is if one day it will be possible to repair, rebuild and augment our own bodies with stuff we make in the kitchen," he says.

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About the speaker

Andrew Pelling

Biomedical researcher

See speaker profile

TED Senior Fellow Andrew Pelling uses novel materials for next-generation medical innovations and speculative living technologies of the future.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

We want your junk! If you are unsure if we really want it, just remember our motto: "If it uses electricity, we’re interested." Find out more on how to get in touch, where to send your junk and what we’ll do with it.