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Hello. I’m Marina Santee.
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And I’m Mike Procter. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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In today’s programme we look at the power of touch! David Bast reads us an imaginary story from Greek mythology.
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It was a light summer evening. The air was fresh and warm. King Midas decided to go for a walk in the green gardens. He was thinking about his money. He always thought about his money! He would count it again later! Ah how he loved counting all his riches. Midas was day-dreaming about the gold as he walked. Soon, he reached a big tree. He saw a man lying under the tree. The man was asleep! He looked like he had drunk too much alcohol. King Midas recognised the man. It was Silenus. Silenus knew one of the gods - Dionysus. So King Midas took Silenus into his home. He gave him food and drink. He provided a place for him to stay. He treated Silenus well. King Midas did this for ten days. On the eleventh day he took Silenus to Dionysus. Dionysus was pleased. He had been worried about Silenus. He was happy that Midas had treated him well. He said, ‘‘Midas, you may choose your reward - your gift. I will give you whatever you want - to say thank you.”
Midas did not have to think for too long. He knew what he wanted. He said, ‘I would like everything I touch to turn into gold.’
Dionysus agreed. He was not happy with the king’s request. But King Midas was full of joy! He could not wait to try his new power! He went outside and touched an oak tree. Immediately, the whole tree turned to gold! King Midas laughed happily. What a wonderful power! He would be the richest person in the universe!
Midas returned home. He sat down at his huge table. And he ordered his servants,
‘Bring me the best wine and the best food.’
This was time to celebrate! The servants hurried to attend to their master. Midas’s eyes grew wider and wider. The food looked wonderful! Mmmm what should he eat first? Maybe he should drink a little wine first. His servant poured the smooth red wine into a glass. He passed it to the King. But as the King lifted the glass to his mouth something happened. The wine turned to gold! King Midas was worried. He looked at the food. He reached out for a piece of the fine food in front of him. And - the same thing happened. The food turned to gold! Midas could not eat or drink! He tried again - and again. Finally only gold objects lay on the table before him. This was terrible! He must go and see Dionysus. He ran out of the house. On his way, he saw his daughter.
‘Father what is wrong?’ She asked.
‘Oh, my dear. I am so pleased to see you.’ The King said, as he put his arms around the young girl. Her body hardened. He still held her. He knew what had happened. What a fool! Not his daughter! Tears fell down the King’s face. And he fell to his knees. He cried at the feet of the golden statue - his daughter.
“Dionysus! Dionysus! Dionysus! Please remove my powers! Please! I ... my daughter ... I cannot touch anything! These powers will kill me and everyone around me. Please, help.”
Dionysus told Midas to go and wash in the river. When he washed there, his power would leave his body. It would flow into the river instead. So the King obeyed. And his power left him from that time on. King Midas decided that he hated wealth and riches. He moved to the country to live a simple life. His desire for wealth had cost him greatly.
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The human touch is a powerful sense. Someone puts their arm around you when you are sad. No one speaks. But somehow you feel better. When you are young, you hold your mother’s hand when you are afraid.
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The sense of touch is different to the other four senses - seeing, hearing, smelling and tasting. These senses are in particular parts of the body. But the sense of touch is all over the body. It is in the skin. It originates in the deepest part of skin - the dermis. The dermis is filled with very small nerve endings. These react to touch. They carry information to the spinal cord that goes through the backbone. The spinal cord sends messages to the brain.
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There are about one hundred [100] touch ‘receivers’ in the end of each finger! This means that even if you touch something very gently, you can feel it. There is nothing like the human touch.
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Or - is there? Scientists in the United States believe that there could be. Professor Saraf and Doctor Vivek Maheshwari work in the University of Nebraska. They have created a device that can ‘feel’ objects. They say it can ‘feel’ to the same degree as a human finger!
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The scientists created a special film. The film is made of very thin materials that can sense pressure. The film produces a small amount of light wherever it experiences pressure. Then the scientists use a camera to see where the pressure is.
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The scientists hope that the device will be useful to doctors. For example, the device could touch cells to ‘show’ if they were normal or cancerous. Such technology could increase the success rate of cancer operations.
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Professor Saraf hopes to make more developments. He would like to create a device that can also sense temperature changes. This would make it more like the human sense of touch.
Creating an exact copy of any of nature’s designs is not an easy job - even for the experts. After all - no one can compete with God’s touch. But scientists’ progress in this area is still very promising. If they succeed with their plans, it will open the way for new possibilities in the world of medicine and technology.
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