No, scientists are not debating the merits and influence of the classic Harrison Ford movie of the same name, but rather 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius, a Paralympic athlete who continues to strive for a qualifying berth for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Oscar had both of his legs amputated as a child, and uses a set of carbon fiber prosthetic limbs in their place. The Ossur Flex Foot Cheetah limbs have earned Oscar the nickname Blade Runner for their futuristic appearance. It's not their appearance that has scientists up in arms though, but rather their capability to give him an advantage or not over able-bodied athletes.
The debate is not new, and has raged since Oscar made his first appearance on the world stage. In fact the IAAF had banned him from competitions, but later had that ruling overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which deemed the IAAF did not prove their case that Oscar's prosthetic limbs gave him an advantage over other runners.
Now however, two of the scientists who were actually instrumental in having that ruling overturned have changed their tune, and now believe the data shows that he does in fact have a decided advantage.
"The science is fully clear that ... Mr. Pistorius runs considerably faster with his artificial limbs," Peter Weyand, associate professor of Applied Physiology and Biomechanics at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, said in an e-mail to Reuters. Weyand, along with Matthew Bundle, assistant professor at the University of Montana's Department of Health and Human Performance, were part of a group of scientists who provided data in support of Oscar's IAAF case back in 2008.
While they now believe differently, the other scientists that were a part of that group continue to defend their position. They stated in a collective rebuttal that it's "common sense that amputation and prosthetic legs impair force generation", and that any tests showing Oscar achieving more rapid leg swings would be the result of his training, and not the prosthetic limbs.
Regardless of the controversy, Oscar is currently cleared to qualify for and compete in the Olympic Games, and that qualifying process wraps up on Saturday at the African Athletics Championships in Benin, where he must run the "A" standard time of 45.3 seconds in the 400 metres to qualify, a feat he couldn't accomplish in his first heat Wednesday. He'll have another chance Thursday in the semifinals, and if he qualifies for Saturday's finals, one last chance at that time.
Does Oscar deserve the chance to compete against able-bodied athletes? Or should Paralympians be kept in separate competitions? Give us your thoughts on the debate.
