Scientists Develop Brain-Microchip Bridge

dreampod writes "Canadian scientists have developed a microchip capable of monitoring the electrical and chemical communication channels between individual neurons. This is the first time scientists have been able to monitor the interaction between brain cells on such a precise and subtle level. In addition to providing the ability to see more easily the impact of drugs on various mental disorders during testing, this provides one of the first fundamental steps towards real mind-machine interface."

Comments

singularity

[laktech]

I'll be looking forward to discuss these developments at the Singularity Conference this weekend!

Re:singularity

[trum4n]

UPGRADE MY DAMN MEMORY. i can NEVER remember my passwords....

Re:singularity

[Yvan256]

You already had an appointment.

Yesterday.

Re:singularity

[ozmanjusri]

Resistance is Futile.
Prepare to be assimilated.

Ohm mani padme hum?

But not in a real brain?

[MichaelSmith]

TFA is vague but it looks like the cells in question are being kept alive outside the organism. I suppose this could be adapted into an implantable device, but cochlear implants almost do that anyway.

Re:But not in a real brain?

[catbutt]

Cochlear implants go the opposite direction. Cochlear implants are like speakers, this is like a microphone.

Re:But not in a real brain?

[MichaelSmith]

Cochlear implants go the opposite direction. Cochlear implants are like speakers, this is like a microphone.

Thats true but the important thing here is the interface, which works both ways. This device may have more resolution though, and it seems precise enough to talk to individual neurons, rather than nerve cells.

Re:But not in a real brain?

[catbutt]

Well I'm not sure what you mean by nerve cells vs. neurons (they are the same thing, by my understanding), but for every neuron there might be 1000 synapses, so that might be what you mean. I couldn't tell from the story, though.

Re:But not in a real brain?

[Low Ranked Craig]

(or the flaps, ailerons, engines, and missiles)

Yes, but you have to think in Russian

Re:But not in a real brain?

[Anonymous Coward]

Sorry, they're the same thing. Neuron == nerve == nerve cell. A neuron consists of a cell body (the prokaryon), one axon (outgoing signal), and one or more dendrites (incoming). They connect to each other from axon to dendrite, at links called synapses. The signal is propagated by very high-resolution, high-frequency balancing and shifting ion gradients.

Re:But not in a real brain?

[catbutt]

Sure, but the idea is to monitor thousands or even millions of them....at least if you are planning on doing the kinds of sci-fi-ish things we'd like to do. The issue here is what resolution are we working at. Current technology is several orders of magnitude less than neuron level. Neuron level (or even higher, synapes level) would be good, even if each individual neuron may not be giving a lot of info. (just as every pixel in an image doesn't have a lot of info)

Whether we can ever do it, and whether we'll be able to process all the data meaningfully, no one knows. But the future is long.

Re:But not in a real brain?

[ozmanjusri]

I'm sure the keyboard and mouse have a few years left before people start drilling holes in their head for sensors.

Sigh.

You should have told me that 10 minutes ago...

Re:But not in a real brain?

[Monkey-Man2000]

Actually, a nerve is not the same thing as a neuron (or "nerve cell" if you like). Nerves are bundles of axons extending from the neurons that travel to and from the sensory/muscle systems to the nervous system. For example, we have 12 cranial nerves and about 30 spinal nerves.

Re:But not in a real brain?

[tepples]

Yes, but you have to think in Russian

Only if you're using Firefox. As AC hinted, Chrome can do this translation for you.

Read the small print

[arth1]

Before jumping on this, read the small print.
They take out a piece of brain tissue, and implant it into the machinery, not the other way around. I'm not sure about you guys, but that kind of interface doesn't seem too useful to me, although it could be useful for diagnosis.

Re:Read the small print

[catbutt]

I think it's what is known as "an important first step". That is, having communication between neurons and electronics. Once you've done that, it is another (admittedly large)step to make it practical.

Obviously, it's harder to do in a living organism, so you work out certain details in a test tube, so to speak.

Re:Read the small print

[master5o1]

If there were medical engineers they could take a device like this and package it for implantation.

There is such a field as Biomedical Engineering.

Re:Read the small print

[icebike]

Before jumping on this, read the small print.
They take out a piece of brain tissue, and implant it into the machinery, not the other way around. I'm not sure about you guys, but that kind of interface doesn't seem too useful to me, although it could be useful for diagnosis.

I rather suspect if it were the other way around, (implants for arbitrary interfaces) there would be a bit of a hue and cry. Especially when human subjects are discussed.

Its the safe way to do the research without attracting the attention of political or religious groups.

Its pretty patently clear that implantation is the ultimate goal, and this opens a whole can of worms best left unopened while the research is young.

Re:Read the small print

[Falconhell]

Benji mouse :"It has to be prepared"

Mouse 2: "Diced, We will replace it with an artificial brain, no-one will notice.

Arthur Dent :"I will"

Benji mouse: No you wont you will be programmed not to!"

Re:Read the small print

[causality]

Its pretty patently clear that implantation is the ultimate goal, and this opens a whole can of worms best left unopened while the research is young.

Yeah, we'll keep it under the radar and let it gather lots of momentum, entrench itself in terms of research thus far invested, and then we'll spring open that can of worms. Surely that will avert the controversy concerning brain implants!

Re:Read the small print

[Yvan256]

Let's call it "an important first slimy forward drag".

Chemical dialogue

[mevets]

I thought this sort of thing was quite difficult, without vapourizing the tissue and dropping it into a mass spectrometer. I know CSI can drop a grain of goop into a breadmaker and have it pinpoint every compound, dna profile and isotope distribution in a few seconds, but I kinda guessed that was a TV-ish thing.

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. - GB Shaw

Re:Vampire Plug

[arth1]

What I really want is a vampire plug that sits on my optic nerve(s) and captures everything I see and records it to a hard drive.

The Man would like you to have that too. I mean, if you have nothing to hide, why would you possibly be against it?

Re:Vampire Plug

[master5o1]

The only thing a Vampire plug would enable you to do is sparkle.

Imortality

[jbssm]

I believe this will be an easier way to immortality than any genetic treatment.

If you think about, from the moment on that you can store you memories and later thoughts in a chip, just like you do in your brain, how can you distinguish between what goes on in your biological brain and digital one? Where is the barrier?

I know we are still far from that time. Perhaps decades at the best, but just think about the philosophic implications of that and how the concept of life, intelligent life and humanity will need to be re-defined.

It's a "brave new world".

Re:The soul

[guyminuslife]

I take the view that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively; life is just a dream and we are all imaginations of ourselves.

Here's Tom with the weather.

Re:sounds cool where are the Bionic arms and legs?

[Mitchell314]

In the trunk of the flying car. :P

Implanted into a certain ex-governor from Alaska

[countertrolling]

Another Bridge to Nowhere...