BehindTheMedspeak: 'Active Skin' — Be your dress

Ian Pearson (above) has been chief of British Telephone's Foresight and Futurology Unit for some 13 years.

He trained as a physicist but has spent his entire working career on long term research projects ranging from missile design to computer generated environments.

His current projects include the creation of active skin bionics.

Pearson notes that within the new few years chips will be as small as skin cells, opening the body to the possibility — and likelihood — of fusion with integrated electronics.

Said Pearson, "You could use your skin as a communications medium to link together all the devices you're carrying. Or you could have video tattoos — where you stick an incredibly thin screen to your arm to watch a video or DVD."

He continued, "There's the possiblity of active make–up. You could get up in the morning, put one cream or product on your face, press a button and instantly your eyelids turn blue, your lips turn red and so on."

I know people who can do this without electronics. But I digress.

Active skin will take the concept of jeans so tight they look sprayed–on to the next level.

Namely, achieving that look without need of a spray can.

Pearson's website contains a page of links to 200 articles he's written about future aspects of everything from advertising to yogurt.