Brain implants

juncmodule · Sat 04/12/2004 02:10:02

I'm doing research for a sci-fi project and came across this:

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Thursday, October 14, 2004

Brain implants

A 24-year-old quadriplegic is now able to control a computer with his thoughts. This summer, the man was implanted with the Cyberkinetics BrainGate chip. The tiny device, containing 100 electrodes, was installed in the patient's motor cortex. Apparently, the connection is good enough that he can even play videogames and check email. From a Nature.com article:

The BrainGate allowed the patient to control a computer or television using his mind, even when doing other things at the same time. Researchers report for example that he could control his television while talking and moving his head.

That is just amazing. Completely blew me away. I was aware of minor computer chip/human things, but not something so advanced.

Amazing.

Just thought I would share.

later,
-junc

Domino · Sat 04/12/2004 02:19:25

Sounds cool, i guess we don't need hands anymore.Ã,Â

Shawn

[Cameron] · Sat 04/12/2004 02:40:46

Deus Ex is one step closer to being real, Huzzah!

LGM · Sat 04/12/2004 03:39:39

Quote from: Dark of Night on Sat 04/12/2004 02:19:25
Sounds cool, i guess we don't need hands anymore.

Shawn

But then masturbating wouldn't be as fun..

BOYD1981 · Sat 04/12/2004 04:03:33

i guess people will just have to start having sex then

[Cameron] · Sat 04/12/2004 04:04:15

Have what?

Kairus · Sat 04/12/2004 04:11:59

I remember seeing something like that five years ago or more on the TV news. Then I remember no one talked about it anymore. Was it a joke? Maybe this article will share that destiny...
On the other hand, it would be cool!

juncmodule · Sat 04/12/2004 04:31:22

The video (http://www.cyberkineticsinc.com/PatientAnim1.mpg) and website (http://www.cyberkineticsinc.com/) are a little less ambitious in the description of the product. Perhaps the author of that article got carried away. I tried to find more info on Nature.com, the origin of the quote, but was unable to. I did however find some rather old articles about the technology.

Even if the technology has only evolved enough for a person to move a mouse cursor that's a pretty big step. Just think about it, even with just that a person could play point and click adventure games without a problem!

later,
-junc
EDIT:

From Popular Science:

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/bown/2004/personalhealth/article/0,22221,768020,00.html

BEST OF WHAT'S NEW 2004

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This year BrainGate became the first brain-machine implant government-approved for clinical testing in humans. The 16-square-millimeter silicon wafer is by far the most advanced device designed to help patients with total paralysis, enabling them to control a computer cursor using their thoughts alone. When implanted onto the brain's motor cortexâ€"the region that controls motionâ€"the chip intercepts electrical nerve signals intended for the spinal cord and reroutes them to a computer, which translates the data into specific cursor commands. The able-bodied stand to benefit too: Implanted chips may one day control common household electronics such as TVs, lights and robotic vacuum cleaners.

Rui 'Trovatore' Pires · Sat 04/12/2004 08:51:47

Oh Jesus. I seriously hope people don't go overboard with this kind of thing. Evenyually it gets to be too much.

sedriss · Sat 04/12/2004 10:21:18

Whoa! It's like.. an IRL Shadowrun!

Blade · Sat 04/12/2004 10:31:59

Cyberpunk world, here you come.

Babar · Sat 04/12/2004 11:11:34

but..but... is this real? What next? Telepathic radioing without conversation? converting thoughts to file format? converting thoughts to pictures? "Thought" art? I mean, our ideas are the ultimate form of art...I think Douglas Adams called it something like "no sensory filtering". Not saying that it is that advanced yet, but wouldn't it be great if it was?

Rui 'Trovatore' Pires · Sat 04/12/2004 11:15:02

No. It would be TRULY living for the machine. Instead of being A tool, the machine would be THE tool, the ONE AND ONLY tool. Whereas the ONE tool should be our body.

Blade · Sat 04/12/2004 11:35:37

We would become machines slowly. And think of someone using this to monitor our thoughts.

Haddas · Sat 04/12/2004 12:26:01

omg. think microsoft...

EDIT: also, how much space do I have in my brain, I mean, I AM gonna download... it. and if you had anything illegal stored, would the brain be confiscated, or reformatted? and think computer viruses

YOke · Sat 04/12/2004 13:15:34

Quote from: lelev on Sat 04/12/2004 11:35:37
We would become machines slowly. And think of someone using this to monitor our thoughts.

An even greater danger, in my opinion, would be the acidental typing of thoughts. That could be the end of social life as we know it.Ã,Â

juncmodule · Sat 04/12/2004 16:23:15

Some more fun stuff. I read an article that scientists now view the measurement of human memory and "processing power" in computer terms to be acceptable. Perhaps I'm way out of the loop, but last I had heard was that scientists were saying we couldn't measure it that way. I'm sure it may still be up for debate in some circles. Anyway, here are some figures I got off the wonderful ol' interweb...

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also, how much space do I have in my brain, I mean, I AM gonna download... it.

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Human Brain learns at 2 bits per second

Lifetime Capacity is 125 MB (before you say that is a small amount, consider a pure text document at that size that you can access any one portion of...)

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It seems reasonable to conclude that the human brain has a raw computational power between 10^13 and 10^16 operations per second.

10,000 GHz to 10,000,000 GHz (or 10 PHz) (I think these figures are correct?)

happy thinking,
-junc

Haddas · Sat 04/12/2004 16:49:09

QuoteHuman Brain learns at 2 bits per second

What if it was broadband? I'd love that! Also, what about the guy the movie Rainman is based on. He remembers everything he sees, reads or hears and never forgets it. I saw it on Ripley's believe it or not, but I can't remember his name. He was answering peoples questions. Among others he was asked about the championship matches with Muhammed Ali and who he fought and lost and won against, and he told it. 2 bps... I wonder if you can raise that by changing ISP. School-time could be significantly shortened

QuoteLifetime Capacity is 125 MB (before you say that is a small amount, consider a pure text document at that size that you can access any one portion of...)

how about all the visual memories I have in my head? I wonder what codec my brain uses, it's got good compression, considering all the movies and games I remember. I also heard humans also use 7% of their brain capacity?

Akira Toriyama · Sat 04/12/2004 17:15:27

Hello, I have a control for playstation that use my thoughts to control the game. It's not a chip in my brain, it is a control that you put in your head and connect with a cable into the console. Then you thing what you want the character to do and he responds.
It is very good because you dont get your fingers hurt.

Blade · Sat 04/12/2004 17:20:49

I hope you meant putting it on your head, because I can't imagine putting something in your head with no harm. None the less that's a huge step forward. But I fear that technology could be used in wrong way.

Brain implants

Akira Toriyama