"In 2003, when Roman was working at KALW in San Francisco a book called Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach came across his desk. The book was a deeply researched and deeply funny exploration of human cadavers and their contributions to science. Roman booked Mary Roach for her first media interview. Over the years Roach has continued to release some of the funniest science books on the market."
"Her latest book Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy is all about designing replacement parts for the worn out and diseased parts of the human body. Roman and Mary sat down to talk about what makes designing body parts so difficult and why pigs are the go to organisms for replacement organs. Enjoy 99pi? Subscribe to the podcast! Get the latest from 99pi each week in your inbox"
Human cadavers have yielded crucial scientific and educational insights that advance medical knowledge and techniques. Humorous, well-researched treatment of macabre topics can make ethical and technical issues accessible without diminishing scientific value. Designing replacement parts for the human body demands solutions for immune compatibility, mechanical performance, integration with living tissue, and variability across patients. Material selection, anatomical matching, and long-term function under biological conditions present persistent engineering challenges. Pigs are frequently used as donor organisms because of anatomical and physiological similarities, making them practical candidates for organ replacement research and xenotransplantation development.
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