1. Bionic humans are no longer just a television fantasy: A bionic man, constructed entirely from 28 prosthetic parts, made an appearance on TODAY Tuesday, taking a few slow steps alongside Swiss social psychologist Bertolt Meyer. All of the parts that make up the bionic man, which include over a million sensors, are already being used in humans.
"We wanted to find out how much of the human body we can replace already today, so what if we got all the different spare parts that we already have today and put them together in one piece?'' Meyer told Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie.
2. At Paulding County High School in Georgia, special needs students are getting a chance to serve as honorary football team members each week, wearing their own jerseys and taking part in game-day activities, like pep rallies and running out of the tunnel. The “Player of the Day” program was started by football coach Scott Hamilton, who wanted to make an impact on the student body while spreading compassion among the young men on his team.
"It just gives them a chance to be part of something they normally don't get to be a part of,'' Hamilton told TODAY's Gabe Gutierrez.
3. Robert Redford chatted about his upcoming film “All Is Lost” on TODAY, telling Matt Lauer that the nearly dialogue-free movie is “pure cinema.” "It wasn't reliant on special effects, digital. It wasn't going to be heavy in post-production, it was just pure. I loved that," Redford said.
In the movie, Redford plays a nameless sailor struggling to survive at sea after his boat collides with a shipping container.
4. NBC announced Tuesday morning that funny ladies Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are slated to host the Golden Globes for the next two years, following up their crowd-pleasing performance at the 2013 awards. In honor of the occasion, take a look at some of the duo’s funniest moments together, from playing Palin and Hillary to anchors on SNL’s Weekend Update.
5. Willie Geist, Al Roker and Natalie Morales discussed high school student Erin Cox, who was demoted from being captain of her volleyball team and suspended from five games after picking up her intoxicated friend from a party after work. Even though Cox was not drinking, her school said she broke a zero-tolerance policy toward alcohol.
The anchors asked TODAY viewers to tweet their opinions to #OrangeRoom, and many agreed that the punishment was unnecessary and potentially irresponsible. "Suspending and demoting a team captain for being a leader to her peers sends a dangerous message to kids," Christian Moore wrote.
And that's TODAY's Takeaway!