bionic human image and course title "Bionic Human"

BIOE 0844-006, Fall 2025

Bionic Human

Science and Technology

Welcome to the Bionic Human, where will explore biomedical advancements, and discuss the boundaries of repairing vs replacing vs enhancing the human body.

Below are quick links to various resources and the modules we will cover throughout the semester.

Course Modules

Module 8 - 10/13/2025

Module 9 - 10/20/2025

Module 10 - 10/27/2025

Module 11 - 11/3/2025

Module 12 - 11/10/2025

Module 13 - 11/17/2025

Module 14 - 11/24/2025

Module 15 - 12/1/2025

Module 16 - 12/8/2025

About this Course

BIOE 0844. The Bionic Human. 3 Credit Hours.

Can we replace our "worn-out" body parts with space-age materials? Will the day come when an injured athlete buys a tendon for the next big game? If so, who will have access, and when do we cease to be human? Become familiar with the extraordinary advances happening in bioengineering, including regenerative medicine, gene therapy, and mRNA vaccines, with the potential to cure diseases and create designer babies. Discuss science and pseudoscience: Goop, gurus, and the FDA, all the while getting a birds' eye view of the US and global health care systems. By the time you finish this course, you'll know how a pig heart could save your life, how stem cell research could affect your future, the purpose of animal testing, and whether we're going to have Iron Man suits any time soon. NOTE: This course fulfills a Science & Technology (GS) requirement for students under GenEd and Science & Technology Second Level (SB) for students under Core.

Instructor Information

Name: John Furey
Email: john.furey0001@temple.edu
Phone: 267-694-0573
Office Hours: By appointment only
Contact Policy: Please reach out to me at any time for assistance with the course or just to chat about the field or navigating university life. The best way to reach me is to send me a message through the Canvas inbox or email me at john.furey0001@temple.edu. I will generally respond quickly and at the latest within 24 hours.