Do you know anyone with an artificial limb? If you said no, you’re probably wrong! Modern prostheses (proper name of an artificial limb) work so effectively and can look so convincing that you might not even know someone was using one. People with prosthetic legs can often climb stairs, walk, and run as well as those using natural limbs, while prosthetic hands have advanced to the point of individual control of all five fingers. You might think prostheses look boring, but they are among the world’s truly great inventions. By creating independence, they boost optimism and dramatically improve people’s lives.