Scientists Create First Memory Expansion for Brain

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Geriatrix

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http://gizmodo.com/5813821/scientists-create-first-memory-expansion-for-brain
Imagine you can insert a memory card in your brain and go all Keanu Wow, I know Jiu-Jitsu! Reeves. It's actually not that far away: Scientists have created a chip that allows rats to instantly know things. It's amazing.

After studying the chemical interactions that allow short-term learning and memorization in rats, a group of scientists lead by Dr. Theodore Berger—from the University of South California's Viterbi School of Engineering—have built a prosthetic chip that uses electrodes to enhance and expand their memory abilities. The chip is capable of storing neural signals, basically functioning as an electronic memory, allowing rats to learn more and keep it in the devices.

Dr. Berger's description is almost frightening:

"Flip the switch on, and the rats remember. Flip it off, and the rats forget [...] These integrated experimental modeling studies show for the first time that with sufficient information about the neural coding of memories, a neural prosthesis capable of real-time identification and manipulation of the encoding process can restore and even enhance cognitive mnemonic processes.

The team's experiments—which have been in a paper called "A Cortical Neural Prosthesis for Restoring and Enhancing Memory"—could lead to the development of devices that may help people affected by Alzheimer's disease, stroke or other brain injuries. In fact, they are already working on the next step: Reproduce the same result in monkeys.

As someone who has had family affected by Alzheimer and other diseases, I really hope they succeed. As someone who would like to have the entire IMDB in his brain, I really hope they succeed too.
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ok, someone should program a chip with "being a decent human 101" and place it in Julius's brain.
 
Bizkit87 said:
ok, someone should program a chip with "being a decent human 101" and place it in Julius's brain.
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Nah, they're only trying it on monkeys and rats so far. It'll take way more research and time before they can adapt it to a brain that small.
 
TJ99 said:
Nah, they're only trying it on monkeys and rats so far. It'll take way more research and time before they can adapt it to a brain that small.
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you see, i was thinking if the chip works on a rat brain, it might be safe to try old Julius, whats the worst that can happen :P
 
My aspirations would be slightly higher than the IMDb... say the entire Cambridge University curriculum, maybe?

Pretty damn incredible...
 
Quick Someone tell Terry Pratchett before he signs the assisted suicide forms!
 
Interesting.... would it be worth making happy memories, learning, forgetting, living, when all you need for that is a chip? If this comes around eventually, I see it being outlawed like recreational drugs, unless used for medical purposes.
 
Imagine short circuiting in the middle of an intense medical procedure or whilst flying a helicopter or something :eek:
 
I read about this the other day. Basically they created an on/off switch for memory in rats' brains and were pleasantly surprised when it actually started to increase their memory abilities. Awesome stuff...
 
phenom said:
BAN it! life is not an endless rat race towards endless knowleadge and control, technology is there to help us solve all which bothers us and allow us to achieve the highest degree of fulfillment possible. Starting a rat race towards a cyborgity is not something that i would call desirable.
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/facepalm
Does allowing a person to learn things faster not aloow them to solve problems and reach greater fulfillment? Might as well ban books if you really dont think we dont need knowledge. Ban the internet too! Heck, ban writing of any kind, knowledge is clearly evil :rolleyes:
 
TJ99 said:
Nah, they're only trying it on monkeys and rats so far. It'll take way more research and time before they can adapt it to a brain that small.
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xumwun said:
I think it only works if you actually have a brain.
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Lol :D

I would love it... wonder if they can modify it to keep running the "memories" so your brain makes its own neuron "binds" for that "lesson".
 
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