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A 3 minute talk I gave today on an accidentally discovered/spinoff technology was well received, netting me 2 unsolicited kudos, so I have decided to post it (as close to verbatim as I can produce):
Today, I will be talking about a technology close to the hearts of many women, a technology that can take you from this:
To this:
Yes, breast implants! Did you know that breast augmentation was the third most popular cosmetic operation in the US in 1994? This shows you how important this technology is in modern society. Besides beauty purposes, breast implants are also used in women with mastectomies - where part of the breast has been cut out.
What are breast implants?
Breast implants consist of a silicone shell inside of which is a liquid filling. There're 2 main types of breast implants - saline (where the implant is filled with sterile saltwater) and silicone.
Women have been injecting things into their breasts for many years. The first thing they injected was paraffin wax in 1902, but this encountered complications. After World War II they also injected liquid silicone, but this also had complications.
In 1962, Dr Thomas Cronin invented silicone gel-filled implants.
One of his residents was carrying a transfusion bag of blood, and remarked to him that: hey, it feels like a breast. He squeezed it and agreed. So in 1965, silicone gel-filled implants were made available.
What has affected the evolution of breast implants? One factor is taste. Besides the round implants you saw previously, there are also oval and teardrop shaped implants.
There're also some implants with thinner shells. These feel and look more natural.
There're also "gummy bear" implants, which are filled with "cohesive silicone gel". The gel inside is firmer, so these hold their shape better and look and feel more natural.
Another factor affecting the evolution of breast implants is hysteria. In 1992, the Food and Drug Administration banned silicone gel implants after many circumstantial claims that silicone implants caused diseases.
However, virtually all scientific studies show that there's no systemic link between silicone implants and illness or disease, so in 2005 silicone implants were legalised again.
In the 13 years in between, only saline implants were available, but the problem with saline implants is that they are less natural-looking and feeling, as those of you who have squeezed the props will have noticed.
What would the world have been like if breast implants had never been invented?
This is a prosthetic breast. The disadvantage of it is that it's inconvenient and rides up.
We also have heavily padded bras, but the girls can tell you what disadvantages they have.
What does the future hold for breast augmentation technology?
Here is a picture of a sex doll in New York. The breasts look and feel very realistic.
Thank you.
(The question and answer exchange is not replicated, not least since I have no notes from it)
Zhen yi holding aloft one of the 2 props I used. This is a double-sealed ziploc bag combination containing a wet dough to simulate a silicone implant. There was one filled with water to simulate a saline implant but it leaked a few hours before this photo was taken since so many people had groped it, so I dumped it.
The 24 year old virgin suggested I fill one with sand, but I doubted that people would get the reference.
Addendum: Breast implants: the first 50 years
