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Scientists Use Quake 2 To Study the Brains of Mice
An anonymous reader writes "In this week's issue of Nature, scientists from Princeton University trained mice to navigate around a virtual environment using a setup that resembles a combination of a giant trackball and a mini-iMax theater displaying a virtual world rendered using a modified version of the Quake 2 open source game engine. (Here's the academic paper, subscription required.) They hold the mouse's head still atop a giant trackball, which the mouse turns by running. The scientists use the rotations to move the mouse around in the virtual environment, and when he reaches certain places, he gets a reward. Because they are able to hold the head still, they can stick microscopic glass electrodes into individual neurons in the hippocampus of this mouse as it 'navigates.' They find the neural activity that resembles activity during real life navigation, and learned new things about the inputs and computations that are going on inside these neurons, which weren't known before. No word as of yet whether the scientists plan on giving the mice control of the gun. Wonder whether John Carmack ever envisioned this when he opened up the Quake code?"
Yo dawg, I heard you liked mice, so I put a mouse on your mouse.
God spoke to me.
If only we could do this with gamers who need exercise. They get a better immersive experience AND get fit at the same time.
OK, so the open-brain surgery thing is going to be controversial, but...
"This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
If I ever get fragged by a mouse, I hope no one ever tells me.
Fragged by a rodent! Damned thing was camping, too, the bastard.
Free Martian Whores!
In this week's issue of Nature, scientists from Princeton University confirm pleasure centers of mouse brain lights up after grabbing the Quad Damage jumping off the platform, spin 180 degrees and rockets his opponent who explodes in a mass of flying bloody chunks. Film at 11.
Damn that would be awesome to have when playing Quake
Great. Now I have to worry about getting pwned by Frankie and Benjy.
I invision an army of mice farming gold in World of Warcraft, we could do it even cheaper than the Chinese!
Catching mice that get in my house is enough of a pain, but now I have to snag the bastards while they're rocket jumping? Thanks, jerks.
This is a great example of open source really helping humanity learn new and interesting things.
It's great to see that the tools provided by open software can really help speed up research.
I wonder what would happen if old versions of adobe photoshop, 3ds max, or cubase were left to open source for research purposes. What kind of discoveries would scientists make with programs like these?
Someone is likely to say it, so I will:
This is what happens when you have a free flow of information. Carmack got well paid for Quake 2 then opened the source up (eventually). If more people/institutions/corps did this it seems there would not only be more hearts and flowers (for all the open source hippies) but there would be MORE technology we could patent! The ability to make MORE money!
If I have 2 innovative products and I decide to open them up to general use, and at least 1 new idea comes from that, someone out there will create something with it and hopefully create a net gain for the system as a whole in the long run.
I know people are selfish, but for Science's sake, open up your information already! The economy is dying a slow, painful death (though the market might refute that this week), wouldn't the SOLUTION in The States be to repeal some copyright laws and let information flow freely so as to foster innovation like this? Even if it's a mouse on a ball in a hall at the mall, I have to believe only good could come from opening things up a bit more.
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I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
Beats a console controller any day, even lab scientists agree
Human controlling fighter jet in fighter jet.
Human controlling fighter jet in console type game system.
Mice controlling console type game system.
Is no-one else seeing the dangerous possibilities?!
So what was the frame rate on the mouse's brain? Could it run crysis/linux?
stuff |
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
Gee, Brain, what do you want to do tonight?
The same thing we do every night, Pinky—try to take over the world!
One ring to bind them - should probably have more fiber and less rings in their diet.
They initially tried this study using managers, but there was no evidence that the managers were learning anthing or that they even perceived their environment
The world was shocked today when the World Cyber Games championship was taken from fragu4life, champion for the last several years, by a newcomer, sirsqueaksalot. Information is sketchy as to the newcomer's origins, but it has been stated that he greatly enjoys cheese.
News at eleven.
It's better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don't want and get it.
- E. Debs
"Are you pondering what I am pondering, Pinky?"
"I think so Brain, but how can I bunny-hop over the lava when I'm a mouse?"
www.eFax.com are spammers
No word as of yet whether the scientists plan on giving the mice control of the gun.
Just whisper this when you say it. Rodents have unnaturally good hearing.
Early versions of Doom included the ability to link 3 PCs and use their monitors for left/front/right displays. Pity it was dropped.
Can we get a "-1 Wrong" moderation option?
The researchers originally wanted to use Half-Life instead of Quake 2, but they could never get the mice to do anything in the game other than murdering the scientists.
"FDA staff reviewers expressed concern about the number of patients who were left out of the study because they died."
Just thought I'd point out that
despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage.
- For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat
If anyone is wondering, the authors did thank Carmack and id software:
Acknowledgements We thank E. Chaffin for help with mouse behaviour,
J. Carmack and id Software for providing the Quake2 code
They can get there faster by bunny hopping.
Gives you a new definition for a head mounted display.
Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
I wondered why the last arena I logged in to had the quad damage replaced by a wheel of cheese, and why the rocket pickups were shaped like little smudges of peanut butter.
There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell 'em.
real gaming mouse
Mice already know how to interface with computers, having built the greatest computer in all space and time. The mice are running this quake experiment just so that they have a bit of fun "decommissioning" the hardware later.
-- open source? sounds like the real book --
I'll take a computer than runs Quake 2 at a reasonable 60 fps over a computer that takes millions of years to say "42".
Already done, kind of http://cnn.technology.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=CNN.com+-+'Brain'+in+a+dish+flies+flight%A0simulator+-+Nov+4%2C+2004&expire=-1&urlID=12174447&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2004%2FTECH%2F11%2F02%2Fbrain.dish%2Findex.html&partnerID=2016
You just got troll'd!
Oh noes, thirsty insects, teh horror! Unrelatedly today I've squished 4 insects before breakfast.
You just got troll'd!
Squeeked one Mice professor, "This humans have seem pretty drecky thoughts tumbling around in their little minds."
Nonsense. The mice just paid for it and operated it. The second greatest computer in all time and space designed it, and the Magratheans built it.
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
But can they teach a robot to love?
I'll be honest, we're throwing science against the wall to see what sticks. -Cave Johnson
Let the mice steer the beetles!
Your Brain + EEG + LEGO Robots = Brainstorms
I'm no PETA person, by any stretch of the imagination, but, I think some of these experiments they perform on animals are barbaric.
This is my sig.
Insects. That's the line.
You just got troll'd!
Konami presents: "Quake Quake Revolution", coming to a mouse-accessible game arcade near you!
Homonyms are fun!
You're driving your car, but they're riding their bikes there.
How do i disable that fucking live twitter feed on the right? I clicked on the link to read a Wired article, not listen to random dumbasses whining!
How do i disable that fucking live twitter feed on the right? I clicked on the link to read a Wired article, not listen to random dumbasses whining!
Actually, on any given screen other than your own, you appear as a random dumb-ass. And gee, you are also whining. --About a non-issue as it happens. If you want to insulate your precious self from the outside world, then it's entirely possible to do this by configuring your browser accordingly.
Just a few thoughts for you to consider. --If indeed you have the brain tissue required for such a feat. Which is very doubtful.
-FL
Nicely put.
Tom Brown Jr. told a story about how his grandfather sent him off to hunt and kill a deer, but told him he wasn't allowed to take a bow & arrow, which he explained was too impersonal. He had to use a knife. So off into the woods he ventured, carrying no food. Only a knife.
He found a group of deer, stalked them and learned their patterns. The deer were very aware of him because they are deer, and after a week or so, they had accepted them into their environment. He picked out his target; a baby deer with a gimpy leg which would not survive well on its own. When the time came, (he was beginning to starve at this point), he walked up to it and it didn't run away because it had accepted him as part of the herd, --which wasn't far from the truth both physically and emotionally. He looked into its eyes and killed it with his knife. He reported that it felt like killing his brother.
Because Tom Brown Jr. is not a psychopath or a coward, he was wracked with tears and confusion and shame while he carried the animal back home. His grandfather met him and said,
"Very good. Now, when you can connect that way with the smallest blade of grass, you will have learned."
We have to kill in order to live here in this reality. There's simply no getting around that. It's the awareness and intent we kill with that matters in the end. Many try to hide their souls away from this question because it can hurt. But until these basic lessons are learned, we remain in kindergarten, lying to ourselves. There are a lot of souls which will be returning to this world for more fire and pain until they figure this stuff out.
Just my opinion.
-FL
"It hurts make it stop!"
-Eric
I know this map.
The mouse is running straight for the BFG (Big F**** Gouda)
.. that this is how Skynet is born?
I find it amazing that not only has id's game engines been played on more platforms than any other, but is now being played by different species!
John Carmack immediately altered the map to put in knee-high obstacles. The mouse protested, saying, WTF why can't I jump over that low thing?!? Carmack was quoted as saying, "We need to put in things to overcome as part of the fun."
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
Oh shut up, you spider hugger lol.
You just got troll'd!
Care to volunteer for open brain surgery instead?
Your argument is might makes right. Because you are stronger than someone else, and need something exploitation would provide, that exploitation is ok.
This is my sig.