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Today in Scientific Studies Sure To Make You Go 'Huh' we bring you the latest news from researchers at the Karolinska Institutet, who have succeeded in inducing phantom limb sensations that can make people feel like they have a third arm. After just a few minutes being exposed to an illusion -- having their own arm, which they can't see be stroked with a paintbrush while the air in front of them is stroked similarly -- participants in the experiment were so invested in their new limb that their stress levels jumped when the fake hand was threatened with a very real knife. Which is just silly -- everyone knows you can't stab a phantom hand with a regular knife. You need a +1 or better weapon for that!

3D printing has brought us all sorts of neat household gadgets and delightful statuettes and toys, but the real advances made possible by the technology might not be in the home, but in the lab. Take, for example, this replacement human ear, engineered from rat tail cells and cow cartilage and given shape in a 3D printed mold of a patient's own ear.

The world of prosthetics is reaching critical turning point. Though the goal in the field has always been to replicate and replace human limbs as accurately as possible, we're now able to see a future where mechanical enhancements may make people stronger and faster than when they were whole. There's no reason why prosthetic-wearers shouldn't be allowed to live as discrete super-human cyborgs, though. Researchers at the University of Alabama are trying to make their new rocket-powered ankle more discrete than those controversial prosthetic blades from a few years back.

As they currently exist, prosthetic limbs are a pain to use. The majority of prosthetic legs supposedly aren't much better than a wooden one, and using them has been compared to dragging along an unresponsive numbness. That might all be set to change here shortly, though, thanks to mind-controlled prosthetic limbs. Zac Vawter, a man that lost his leg due to a motorcycle accident, made history yesterday when he successfully climbed all 103 floors of Chicago's Willis Tower with the help of his mind-controlled bionic leg.

Researchers at the University of Manchester have proven that a pair of false toes found in Egyptian archaeological sites weren't just for looks. Modern tests on replicas of the ancient replacement digits show that they really do help people walk, confirming their status as the world's first prosthetic devices and pushing back the timeline on mankind's development of convenient spare body parts -- because hey, sometimes you're gonna lose a toe -- as much as half a century.

The next time you make a mistake, just remember that you're not alone. Everybody makes huge mistakes that irrevocably change their lives from which they never truly recover. It just, happens, y'know? Maybe not for much longer, though. Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center are hard at work developing a neural implant that shows promise in repairing the decision making abilities of primates who have suffered brain damage. If the research pays off, it could develop into a similar implant in humans with the potential to not only repair damage to the brain's decision making center, but improve decision making in general.

Proving that if it cane be done, it can be done with LEGOs, YouTube user sumthinelse5790 presents this amazing robotic arm made entirely from LEGO pieces. Though its strength is limited, it has a full range of motion designed to mimic that of a human being. This emphasis on lifelike motion is important, as its creator designed it as a prosthetic arm -- assuredly as an experiment than an exercise in practicality. Though impressive in its own right, the complexity of the LEGO robotic arm is a gentle reminder of how amazing the human body really is. See the video, after the break.

For years now, we've seen athletes with prosthetic running blades break all sorts of boundaries that were previously insurmountable. And now Nike is crossing the final barrier by making a shoe that it can sell to people who have no feet. Snarking aside, the Nike Sole is the missing link for running blade users, providing better grip and a more natural stride length.

Trevor Prideaux, born without a left arm, used to have trouble using cell phones. It didn't use to be so bad until the smartphone revolution happened and he found himself having to balance the phone on his prosthetic arm for use. Then, he had an idea that's practically only if you have a prosthetic arm: Why not just put the phone right in there? And that's what he had done. His Nokia C7 sits just right inside the arm, freeing up his other hand to use it.

Now that's pretty cool, but there's a little more to the story, the Nokia C7 was actually Prideaux's second choice. The idea actually came to him while he was trying out the iPhone and balancing it precariously on his arm. Struck by the idea, he contacted Apple to see if he could get an empty casing, for measurement and testing purposes, but Apple wasn't too keen on the idea. The folks at Nokia, on the other hand, were more than happy to work hand in hand with the technicians at the Exeter Mobility Centre, where Prideaux gets all his limbs.

The first dog to be fitted with four prosthetic paws is thriving with his newfound mobility. Designed and fitted by Martin Kaufmann of Orthopets, the prosthetics have allowed Naki'o, who lost his own paws at just five weeks, to transition from crawling around on his belly to moving freely, running, jumping and even playing with other dogs. Naki'o was abandoned as a puppy when his owners left their foreclosed home. During the Nebraskan winter, he stepped into an icy puddle in the home's basement and got all four of his paws trapped in the freezing water. With severe frostbite, Naki'0 and the rest of his litter were transported to an animal rescue center. Veterinary technician Christie Tomlinson adopted Naki'o, and organized a fundraiser to pay for his two back legs to be fitted with the prosthetics. He came through the procedure so well that Orthopets decided to donate the remaining two prosthetic legs. The prosthetics are designed to replicate the muscle and bone structure of the dog's natural limbs, and so allow him to do everything a normal dog would be able to do. (Incredible Features via Reddit)

After losing the use of his hand from an accidental electrocution, 24 year old Patrick opted to be fitted with a state of the art bionic hand. Unlike older prosthetics, Patrick's hand can open, close, and rotate using the nerve signals from his brain. He is, in effect, controlling it with his mind. While thought-controlled devices have been seen in experiments, these new modes are ou in the wild being used in his everyday life. Another amputee, an Australian named Milo, is also using a bionic prosthetic. The BBC reports that the prosthetics, made by Otto Bock, pick up the signals from nerve's in the forearm, using electrodes attached to the skin. Once he received his new hand, Milo said that it changed his life entirely. Hopefully this technology will continue its incredible progression, and help even of those who have lost the use of their hands. To see a video of Patrick and his incredible prosthetic hand, read on after the break.

Imagine if all the characters who possessed these hands all hung out one day. Imagine the awkward-yet-amazing high-fives they'd share. Imagine the armies of zombies they could kill, either directly or indirectly, with these hands. Just imagine the possibilities. (Glaring omission: Freddy Krueger.) (via The High Definite)