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Researcher Implants Laser-Activated Brain Cells
destinyland writes "A Stanford researcher has spliced light-sensitive algae genes into human brain cells to fire neurons when activated by a laser. Light is shined through an implanted fiber optic cable (blue light on, yellow light off), and the procedure can target very specific deep brain structures too fragile for most surgery. 'Once the researcher attaches the other end of the cable to a laser, he or she has absolute and flawless control over that group of neurons.' Science writer Quinn Norton cites it as a first attempt at 'building useful handles on the very things that make us ourselves.'"
This sounds an awful like binary.... Could this potentially be used to make bio-computers? Or at the very least Bio-Memory? Perhaps it has too many flaws to be useful, but the idea of using cells to store data is interesting to say the least.
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
So I need to get tinfoil glasses now too so the government can't control my mind? How do you expect those of us that believe in conspiracy theories to see UFOs? Sounds shady.
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Exactly. The further science comes, the closer scientists will be to proving the existence of the Flying Spaghetti Monster: The source of creation, consciousness, and morality. Finally, we can have world peace when the people of Earth are united in worship of the one, true God.
Conscience is the inner voice which warns us that someone may be looking.
I have this mental image of a bunch of soldiers with sets of remotely controlled optical fibers hanging out of their head. For some reason in this image they're all kind of grey like something out of Edward Scissorhands or perhaps The Matrix, or maybe The Borg from Startrek....and the best bit is that the guy controlling them is doing it with an r/c aircraft radio. "Crush, kill, destroy, my pets!". Wait, I think someone has implanted MY brain with Hollywood crap. They did it the old fashioned way though - tv brainwashing.
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We've been over this. God is sufficient but not necessary for consciousness. It's far too early to tell either way right now. Keep working on the Hard Problem:-)
93rd rule of Slashdot: No matter how obvious my sarcasm is, my comment will be taken seriously by someone.
Things you need to do with your DNI:
1. Invoke mental imagery, preferably without interfering with normal vision.
2. Infer mental imagery manipulation.. for example, when you hear the question "what letter do you get by turning a Z on its side?" results in a common specific quale of visual intelligence.
3. Test and improve the rate and bandwidth.
With such an interface you can do human computer interaction in ways that are completely unavailable to current input devices. Imagine having a 3d modeling tool where you can just think about the object you want, or how it differs from the object you're seeing. Imagine, if you can, receiving data at a higher bandwidth than video.
How we know is more important than what we know.
Like with all drugs that activate the nucleus accumbens, you'd develop tolerance. Soon even the largest laser doses wouldn't suffice, and you'd become a laser addict, roaming the streets, rummaging through trash containers, trying to find old CD drives to get your laser fix. Is that really the kind of life you want for yourself?
Here's a pic of the subject hooked up to the machine.
No sig for you!!
Yea, coherent light would become a controlled substance. Wicked Lasers would be contraband. Laser junkies would be hanging around the NIF, begging for spare photons. It wouldn't be pretty.
So, thanks for the foresight. I'll have them run a copper wire alongside my fiber, just in case.
I can see the fnords!
So, how do they get the laser beam through the person's thick skull to shine on these light sensitive cells?
AWESOME! My major in trepanation will finally come in handy! Just let me warm up my drill and I'll be coasting through this recession on the cutting edge of science, baby!
they need to open up the brain to insert the virus and it seems they install a 50 micrometer fiber optic cable that points to the specific cells right after that. and my best guess is that you have a cable coming out of your head which you then connect to the laser. the whole thing sounds pretty amazing with the whole algae and archaeon genes, very cool.
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Futurology Feed @ Feed Distiller
And why the operators are called "illuminati". B-)
Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
everyone will become light headed.
I'll have them run a copper wire alongside my fiber, just in case.
Congratulations, you've invented the droud. Larry Niven would be proud.
God is sufficient but not necessary for consciousness.
That's a completely meaningless statement, since both "God" and "consciousness" are vague concepts that nobody can define without some serious hand-waving.
I wonder if this can be applied to other purposes like bypassing damaged sections of a paraplegics spinal cord.
We would need to develop a neuron to laser device at the other end first, but the possibilities of making people walk again are worth investment.
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