Controlling Monkey Brains and Behavior With Light

Posted by Soulskill on Saturday July 28, 2012 @06:46AM from the they've-gone-completely-bananas dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Researchers reporting online on July 26 in Current Biology have for the first time shown that they can control the behavior of monkeys by using pulses of blue light to very specifically activate particular brain cells (abstract). The findings represent a key advance for optogenetics, a state-of-the-art method for making causal connections between brain activity and behavior. Based on the discovery, the researchers say that similar light-based mind control could likely also be made to work in humans for therapeutic ends."

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Mind control.. by vistapwns · 2012-07-28 06:48 · Score: 5, Funny

Great, now I'll need to find some matching sun glasses to go with my tin foil hat..

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"...I think the Microsoft hatred is a disease." - Linus Torvalds
Task Orientated by Sponge+Bath · 2012-07-28 06:52 · Score: 5, Funny

With the proper feedback mechanism the primate can be compelled to perform a variety of directed tasks. One such method is the mod point.
Prior art: by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-28 07:05 · Score: 4, Funny

Americans and TV