Why are only 1 in 10 people with missing limbs actually using a prosthesis? While everyone else chases the next technological advance in prosthetic performance, Shriya Srinivasan realized that amputation surgery was still being done the way it was during the U.S. Civil War. What if we revamped the surgery to preserve nerve messaging and muscle coordination? Could prostheses finally become as natural as the lost limb? And then, could Srinivasan's longtime partner in traditional Indian dance finally be able to turn upon her prosthetic right foot without having to look to see its position in space? Shriya is a PhD candidate in the MIT-Harvard Division of Health Sciences and Technology, working on novel neural interfacing strategies in Dr. Hugh Herr’s Biomechatronics Lab. She is also an accomplished Bharathanatyam dancer and has performed widely around the United States and in India. She co-founded her own dance company in 2015 and has toured the country, winning critical acclaim. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx