Scientists Achieve Mental Body-Swapping

SpaceAdmiral notes the news that scientists have succeeded in convincing experiment subjects that a mannequin's body is their own, and even feeling at home in the body of someone of the opposite sex. The effect could prove useful in virtual reality applications and in robot technology. Here's the paper on PLoS ONE.

Comments

Quite a letdown...

[CaptainPatent]

Ok, I was absolutely pumped because the subject line of this story made it sound like they successfully transplanted a brain or something...

After reading the article they were just simultaneously poking people with sticks...

perhaps now that you have that insight you can "mentally swap" the disappointment I'm feeling.

Re:Quite a letdown...

[ejdmoo]

If you've ever done an experiment like this (there are smaller scale versions), they are very weird. I can't imagine a full body experience.

Example:
The one I have done involves sitting behind someone, eyes closed, and having your nose stroked (by a third party) while you stroke someone else's nose in front of you. After a few seconds, your brain "clicks" and you feel like you have an incredibly long nose. This is because of the feedback loop where your brain feels something on your nose and your finger simultaneously, and your mental body image just changes instantly.

First Person Shooter

[Reziac]

Nope, but it did occur to me that they've essentially reproduced the First Person Shooter -- what dedicated player hasn't "ducked" away from incoming fire, or tried to peer around the corner of the monitor when trying to see around a corner?? Same behaviour, really -- putting yourself in the place of your onscreen avatar's viewpoint to the point that you lose track of which body you actually inhabit, and react as if the avatar is real and YOU.