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Hacking Our Five Senses and Building New Ones

ryanguill writes "Wired has an article about expanding your five (maybe six) senses to allow you to sense other things such as direction. It also talks about hijacking other senses to compensate for missing senses, such as using electrodes in your mouth to compensate for lack of eyesight. Another example is a subject wearing a belt with 13 vibrating pads. The pad pointing north would vibrate giving you a sense of direction no matter your orientation: '"It was slightly strange at first," Wächter says, "though on the bike, it was great." He started to become more aware of the peregrinations he had to make while trying to reach a destination. "I finally understood just how much roads actually wind," he says. He learned to deal with the stares he got in the library, his belt humming like a distant chain saw. Deep into the experiment, Wächter says, "I suddenly realized that my perception had shifted. I had some kind of internal map of the city in my head. I could always find my way home. Eventually, I felt I couldn't get lost, even in a completely new place."'"

22 of 290 comments (clear)

  1. Slashporn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    such as using electrodes in your mouth to compensate for lack of eyesight. Another example is a subject wearing a belt with 13 vibrating pads.

    Sounds like a good BDSM porno. The electrodes go well with the ball and chain and magic wand.

    1. Re:Slashporn by koutbo6 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Instead of rushing to get a FP anonymously and making my day, I bet the guy next to me that we will get a porn related comment within the next 10 minutes.
      Needless to say, I won my bet from the 2nd post!

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    2. Re:Slashporn by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2, Funny

      Sounds like a good BDSM porno. The electrodes go well with the ball and chain and magic wand.

      I'm glad that I wasn't the only one to notice this BDSM trend today on Slashdot.

      I was beginning to think that I should cut back on my DMT consumption.

      Next we might see a post about advertising these electrode ball and chain magic wand services on Craigslist.

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    3. Re:Slashporn by Dark_Gravity · · Score: 2, Funny

      Sounds like a good BDSM porno. The electrodes go well with the ball and chain and magic wand.

      Expect to hear from Microsoft's patent lawyers concerning the "magic wand".

  2. That's easy by SoundGuyNoise · · Score: 5, Funny

    Smission. I wouldn't want to use taste to compensate for vision. Have you licked a Buick lately? Not as sweet as they were in the 50s.

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  3. electrodes by snarkh · · Score: 5, Funny

    It also talks about hijacking other senses to compensate for missing senses, such as using electrodes in your mouth to compensate for lack of eyesight.

    They used to do it in Guantanamo.

    1. Re:electrodes by FredFredrickson · · Score: 5, Funny

      Not sure how the electrodes got into your mouth. I seem recall that the electrodes were hooked to genitalia.

      Oh, I think you figured it out.

      --
      Belief? Hope? Preference?The Existential Vortex
  4. DMT by F34nor · · Score: 4, Funny

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethyltryptamine is responsible for the 6th sense, imaginary friends, self replicating machine elves, and telepathy... bitches.

  5. Re:I Did Acid Saturday Night by ciderVisor · · Score: 2, Funny

    I hope you didn't drop it on the carpet - it can leave nasty burnholes.

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  6. Hmm by shellster_dude · · Score: 5, Funny

    I am pretty sure that the first thought, of the mother and kids in the library, when they saw/heard your pants vibrating, did not involve your enhanced sense of direction.

  7. Re:Chose a sense by Kagura · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can already sense many EM waves, from deep infrared to bright purple.

  8. I can see a use by rs232 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I can see a use for pilots to help in navigation, an all over body suit with electrodes and a HUD interacting with vibrations and colors to produce a map he can feel, as in turbulence would be more viscous that clear air. Or incoming obstables, the vibration to get your attention and the color on the HUD to tell you what it is. You could also combine it with sound ..
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  9. Re:We have SEVEN senses by panthroman · · Score: 4, Funny

    These qualify as 'senses' because they convert environmental information directly into sensations.

    By that definition, why not count your sense of humor?

  10. Re:I Did Acid Saturday Night by interkin3tic · · Score: 1, Funny

    My boyfriend and I dropped base last saturday morning, it was pretty warm.

  11. Re:I Did Acid Saturday Night by houstonbofh · · Score: 2, Funny

    My boyfriend and I dropped base last saturday morning, it was pretty warm.

    Really... Don't do everything they tell you in music...

    "Let the base drop!"

  12. Re:Chose a sense by Phasma+Felis · · Score: 5, Funny

    That would be pretty cool if you could do it with nonferrous electromagnets. Implanting magnets or indeed anything magnetically attracted in your skin is fucking stupid.

    Yeah, you'd better hope you never need an MRI for anything.

    I think they should make 'em modular, myself. Just flip up your fingernail to access the space. If you're not using them for magnets, you could transport secret messages, say, or extra Tabasco for your lunch. Don't see any way for that to go wrong!

  13. Re:Chose a sense by jeffb+(2.718) · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can sense shorter wavelengths than that. Only at pretty high intensity, though, and there's a latency period of a few hours before the sensation really picks up, and then it takes several unpleasant days to extinguish. And then there's the peeling.

  14. Re:Chose a sense by LiENUS · · Score: 2, Funny

    Tell me about it. I just finished sensing it, i'm at the peeling stage now.

  15. Re:We have 23 senses by hamburgler007 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Explosive diarrhea?

  16. Just don't pick super hearing. by BikeHelmet · · Score: 5, Funny

    I already have extra senses(or extra strong; same thing), and I can tell you they're damn annoying.

    I can locate electronics by the extremely annoying ringing/screeching sounds they emit. It was an utter pain finding a clock for beside my bed; I finally settled on one that runs off an AAA battery, and only needs a new battery every couple years. No audible noise coming from it.

    I can locate TVs, monitors(CRTs, malfunctioning LCDs), DVD players, and some PSUs and Mobos by the sounds they make. Some devices still make sounds when "off", and others don't. Even some power bricks make annoying sounds. Some cordless phones do too; one actually gave me headaches, but most don't.

    (it really is hit or miss, per device rather than per model; device quality really must vary!)

    That's one of the reasons that my main computer is an Athlon XP 2400+; it doesn't make any annoying noises... though I suppose the 4000RPM fan is a tad loud. ;) But at least it isn't screeching at me!

    Having a sense of direction would be neat, but let me assure you super hearing isn't what it's cracked up to be. It might be acceptable if I was surrounded by the outdoors, but surrounded by electronic gadgets... gah!

    Interestingly, it appears to be genetic. My Uncle could hear that "Mosquito teen repellent" noise until 50-55 years old.

    I don't like crowds, because I have trouble understanding what people are saying over the background noise. :/

  17. Re:Chose a sense by Tubal-Cain · · Score: 5, Funny

    Example: what direction is "down?"

    Towards the enemy's gate.

  18. i'm pretty sure by KingBenny · · Score: 2, Funny

    i can detect idiots in a 10 ft. radius, ... that's what too much ad&d will do to you i suppose

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