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DARPA Investing In Electric Brain Stimulation To Train Snipers Quickly

Posted by samzenpus on from the heightened-reflexes-II dept.

New submitter Morganth writes "According to New Scientist, researchers at DARPA are investing efforts in transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) machines to cut the time it takes to train snipers. From the article: 'a 2-milliamp current will run through the part of the brain associated with object recognition — an important skill when visually combing a scene for assailants.' The story also gives a nice explanation on the psychology of 'flow' — the state that experts tend to enter (e.g. programmers, tennis players, pianists) when focusing on their work." We covered similar research done on mice to improve their memory in September.

2 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. Two of three categories by Talderas · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So combined with the earlier article about guided long range bullets this technology would be the second of three pieces to accelerate training or open up the candidate pool. Now we just need the trifecta article about some sort of stealth camouflage system.

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    "Lack of speed can be overcome. In the worst case by patience." --Znork
  2. the great fookin' miliatry industral beast! by Thud457 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Really liked this article. I've experienced "flow" to a limited degree when playing music and playing video games, it's something I'd like to be able to attain more. The only time I really enter "flow" when playing music is when I'm improvising with other musicians and I get really 'in the zone' with what I'm playing.

    Gheezus H Ktoolo, heaven forfend they just burn a blunt!

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    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff