Remote-Controlled Flies

Rollie Hawk writes "This could be a huge development for the ultra-lazy (and ultra-stinky, for that matter). It seems that Yale scientists have managed to engineer a remote control system for flies. According to their study (recently featured in Cell), specific neurons can be stimulated by lasers to control basic functions in fruit flies such as jumping, walking, and flying. The study, of course, was performed with wider ranging applications in mind than bringing new meaning to the saying, "Shew, fly!" The overall goal was to determine whether isolated-neuron stimulation could be used to control basic motor activities and even more complex behavior. Everyone since the days of Mary Shelly has obviously known that there are connections between electrical current and muscle movement. What makes this study unique is that it does not use traditional electrodes, which lack the single-neuron specificity of lasers. Eventually, this could lead to mappings that will give humans knowledge and possibly control over not only complex movements but less-than desirable mental functions such as aggression and overeating."

Comments

Fly Racing

[fembots]

I once saw a fly racing competition where the contestants must get their flies to weave through a course.

They used water pistols filled with fruit juice. Flies' response time was slow but accuracy was extremely high.

To bad for Sony.

[Kaenneth]

They patented doing this with Sound waves instead of Lasers.

Oh yeah. Brilliant

[ZorbaTHut]

Like we really need the sharks with frickin' laser beams to be even *more* powerful.

I, for one, welcome our new brain-controlling frickin' laser shark overlords.

(Smooth, guys. Real smooth.)

Groucho had the answer

[Anonymous Coward]

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

Groucho Marx

No comment

[bonch]

The scientists involved were unavailable for comment, as they were too busy constructing levels out of Lego blocks and playing them with their new remote-controlled flies in a real-life videogame.

Work has already begun to interface with the flies using an NES controller. "Up-up-down-down-left-rifgt-left-right-B-A-select" makes their wings spin off!" exclaimed one sugar-charged geek.

gg evil-mart

[ccbutler]

another tool for the corporations to sell their goods and services.

- patron enters store
- patron gets stimulated by a flood of lazers within the store
- patron has the urge to purchase more than what he/she origionaly wanted

this sinister motive is nothing new either, corporations have dumped lots of money in research for these same reasons. I.e. certain fragrences in the air stimulate people to spend money, certain oxygen levels, etc. Ever notice how there is never a clock visable in a department store? The absence of knowing the time makes shoppers less in a hurry to leave.

Re:gg evil-mart

[Eric(b0mb)Dennis]

Eh? I work at k-mart and there's plenty of clocks everywhere.

Did you get the whole oxygen thing from the casino/urban legend?

Re:gg evil-mart

[nmb3000]

Interesting. I did a little looking and it appears that what you said is true from most perspectives.

There's still a lot of people who think otherwise though. I wonder why this is still debated a lot? What is there to gain from removing MSG as many seem to want?

The one thing about all those "pro MSG" sites was that they all refer to mono-sodium glutamate as simply "glutamate", saying it's found naturally in proteins and in out bodies. Glutamate is an essential and natural amino acid. That's fine, but is plain old "glutamate" the exact same as MSG? MSG might be based on glutamate, but chemicals can change drastically if you add or remove extra elements. Anyone know more?

Shocking Inaccuracy

[Doc Ruby]

Since the days of Galvani , the Italian experimenter for whom "galvanic" current is named. Mary Shelly's days started just about when Galvani's ended, as he died in December 1798, while she was born in August 1797. She wrote the story of "Frankenstein's monster", where dead flesh is revived by electricity, during Summer 1816.

controlling our brains

[sellin'papes]

I wonder what the benefits of artificially overcoming anger and over eating are. These mental functions generally have root causes. To use a form of mind control to subdue those thoughts will be temporary and will make our society dependent on brain lasers to cure our problems. The solution should come from confronting the causes in our personal lives. However, using the lasers to make animals dance could have benefits for all. Flea circus indeed!

Sweet

[grommet_tdi]

This opens the door to the exciting world of nanotechnology. The number of applications could be limitless, one of which could be the development of tiny flying robots, millions working together to solve complex problems. Of course the military could see immediate benefits, creating swarms of synthetic "cameras", allowing our intelligence agencies access to unprecedented targets of interest. And the risks should be minimal, as these are purely man-made beings with no innate ability to reproduce, mutate, or turn on their creators. I for one cannot wait...sign me up!

I discovered this DECADES ago...

[Anonymous Coward]

...during a Laser Zeppelin show when I took off like a hummingbird. By buddies thought it was the brown acid, but I swore it was the lasers.

Foil hat

[dark_requiem]

So a foil hat will block this out, right guys? Guys? Why are you all advancing on me with weapons? And what's with the glazed look in your eyes? Guys? Really, this isn't funny anymore, get back, I swear to god I'll... *long, terrified scream*...

how it works, briefly

[davi_bock]

The flies have been engineered to express receptors for the neurotransmitter ATP in subpopulations of neurons. (This is the same ATP that is used for energy storage; it also acts as a neurotransmitter in mammals.) They are then injected with a form of ATP that is inactive until it is exposed to ultraviolet light. When the flies are exposed to the UV, the ATP is uncaged, and the selected population of neurons expressing the transgenic receptors is activated.

Also, Carl Zimmer has written an article in the NYTimes on this; here's his blog post on the topic, as well.

dyslexia is a cruel mistress

[DangerTenor]

I could have sworn the link in my RSS reader said "Remote-Controlled Files". I was wondering what doofus had accepted a story about FTP.

Re:Hasn't this happened with rats?

[curlyjunglejake]

And with cockroaches. There is actually a company called BrainGate that is in human trial phase for a complex electrode fiber implant sheith that will go over the brains of the severly handicapped to allow them to regain fine tuned control over computer screen elements. Eventually they would like to produce "wearable robots"; essentially a hydrolic exoskeleton directly controllable via "natural" movement commands from the brain. There are also groups trying to devise means of implanting a surrogate nervous system that would stimulate the muscles and allow a severly injured individual to regain direct control over their limbs. This last bit is highly speculative, but all have been considered.

None have very much to do with this particular technology.

...should also note...

[x2A]

whilst true that high levels of glutamite can cause neuron death due to excitotoxicity, the brain does have defenses against it (in fact when glutamite levels shoot up high, the brain releases an NMDA-antagonist similar to ketamine, to protect against excitotoxicity).

Glutamite is also coverted in the brain to GABA, another amino acid which acts as a primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, which counters glutamite and other excitory neurotransmitters. So it really isn't so cut and dry.

-2A