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Brain-Implanted Chips Allow Control of Technology
Nilchii writes "The Guardian has an article about implanting electrodes in the brain, allowing paralyzed people to control various software-integrated devices, such as the cursor on a computer and the channel and volume of his television. From the article: 'The experiment took place a few months ago as part of a broader trial into what are known in the business as brain-computer interfaces. Although it is early days, aficionados of the technology see a world where brain implants return ability to those with disability, allowing them to control all manner of devices by thought alone.'" The BBC has coverage of this as well, and we've mentioned this research before.
This may sound like a joke, but I'm concerned about the time when the chip is used to control you.
It's all well and good until the Blue Screen and you can't move your arms
Business Voyeur
They have them now, the transmitter is located in most people's living room...
crazy dynamite monkey
When I first read the headline I thought to myself "Man, this DRM crap is really getting out of hand..."
Choose yer poison: Prophets or Profits
Controlling the brain is actually pretty difficult. From experiment they have done, they found the human brain does not take well to control. Frequently, tests subjects would have seizures under such conditions. Even just recording a subject's brain waves and playing them back would induce serious seizures.
Sorry I don't have any links on this, I saw it on Discovery channel a few years ago.
Now you'll be able to get hacked and become part of some script kiddies zombie network yelling spam at everyone you walk past.
Cyborgs and, ultimetly, robots are the future of humanity.
Sure, these "features" (brain controlled computing) will initially be for the disabled, but how long before it becomes acceptable in the general populace to get these modifactions? People will begin seeing them as everyday occurances, and then we will know we've reached the next level.
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(^.^) INFECTED
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is that they require a surgical procedure which makes it risky at the moment and hard to reverse. While it's good for disabled patients (until we can biologically fix neural damage) it's still not the magic neural link that some geeks want it to be. The more interesting research with alternative interfaces comes from tech like subvocalization and other virtual input that NASA is working on. This includes movement recognition where sensors on the surface of the skin (no surgery required) can pick up subtle gestures that would be invsible to others. That would allow you to work your wearable computer without anyone noticing since all of your motions would be subtle.
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Wired article as proof
Your finger already controls your thoughts. Just touching the tip of it starts off a flurry of activity in your parietal lobes.
In fact, controlling robotic limbs will be much easier once the communication goes both ways. Most of what you think your brain "knows" about your body was learned entirely from peripheral nervous system feedback.
bytesmythe
Hypocrisy is the resin that holds the plywood of society together.
-- Scott Meyer
These first chips are just "neural output" devices. They're very exciting - we've crossed the watershed to real bionics. But they're "write only" devices, like printers. Which is at odds with actual neural function, which includes feedback at every turn. Neural input feedback will make these devices more accurate and useable (by anyone). And the numb appendages we use while working on that next breakthru will probably make us more neurotic. Here's to escalating the modern condition!
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Exactly what I was thinking. I want a 3rd (and possibly 4th) arm. THAT would be cool. Especially if one had a laer on it! Come to think of it, I could use it to control a shark - with a laser on it's head!
:(
But, on a more practical side... This process is obviously far from perfect. If the whole thing went crazy, the worst thing would be having your TV stuck on the spanish channel at full blast
On the other hand, with a robot arm, some serious bodily injury could occur. Even a weak arm could have enough strength to poke your eye out. If somebody was using their fancy arm to slice a tomato, one slip could prove fatal.
Still, I suspect that this will be eventually done if this technique works. But it will take time, lots of legal waivers, and a lot of insurance.
"-1 Troll" is the apparently the same as "-1 I disagree with you."
Step 1) Put chips in handicapped people
"It's okay, they're handicapped. It's all we can do for them."
Step 2) Put chips in normal people to monitor health hazards
"It's important that we know if granny is in trouble."
Step 3) Diseases and illnesses like SARS can be stopped in their tracks with these chips
"We have to use these chips to protect ourselves. Everyone else is doing it and they are fine."
Step 4) We can now use these to detect terrorists by watching for dangerous thought formations.
"It's the only way we can stop them. It must be done."
Step 5) The line between terrorist and criminal is blurred and it's used to stop criminals.
"We might as well do it with criminals since we are already doing it with terrorists."
Step 6) These thought-forms can be prevented entirely.
"If terrorist and criminal thoughts are stopped from the git-go, it will be a utopia. The end of crime forever!"
Step 7) All unwanted thoughts are filtered out
"You have to pay a price for freedom. I am okay with slavery. We need it to be safe. What would you like me to do today?"
See a problem here?!?
Can I think "control-c" instead of "copy?"
...completing my sentences! ...me crazy!
How about auto-completing my thoughts?
Me: Computer, stop comp...
Computer:
Me: You're driving...
Computer:
Me: control-alt-delete!
Computer: atl-F4
Me: control-alt-delete!
Computer: atl-F4
Me: Why you little...
Computer: Yes, Dave?