11th November 2003, 1:53 PM
The brain is a creative computer after all. Another group has developed a sort of chip for alzeimer's patients to improve memory, and they are currently working on a way to properly attach it to the brain. As this site has explained, a surface connection is the only truly safe way to do this because during normal human movement the brain bounces around and shifts inside our skull boxes. Something that actually went INTO the brain, as they also said, would almost certainly cause major damage as the brain shifted, unless it was designed to shift along with the brain without any rigidity. That's the current challange.
Here's another amazing thing I saw on the Science Channel, but sadly don't have a link for. One fully paralized old man was, as you can imagine, sadly completely unable to communicate, but was visibly concious of his surroundings. The family made a rather risky choice in allowing yet another group of scientists to implant a small device into this fellow's brain (MAYBE implanted deep with the lack of movement to shift the brain, not sure, they never went into that detail). This device was designed to pick up signals from the brain, at the motor cortex. Essentially, they were rough coordinates, Y and X. They were hooked up to a computer and it was programmed to use the data picked up to control a mouse cursor. The man soon learned that the mouse cursor would move at his thoughts, and after a few days of learning how to control it, he could finally communicate via a program with many pictures and words to click on. Actually, I'm not sure if the device also picked up bits of signal to determine a "click" or if the program was just designed to detect hovering for selecting, but in any case the man is now happily communicating with his loved ones.
Truly, the similarity between our neurological system and electronic systems is rather amazing. While our brains are most assuredly far more advanced, we're getting closer to understanding little details bit by bit.
Oh yes, as the site above says, the device so far communicates very rough data. To see HOW rough the data is, watch some of the movies that show what the camera is feeding the brain. Seems to be sufficient for slug-like sight, a little better with some other filters, but it should improve I imagine.
Just remember, plugging a giant metal spike into a port on your skull is DANGEROUS if you're moving about :D.
Here's another amazing thing I saw on the Science Channel, but sadly don't have a link for. One fully paralized old man was, as you can imagine, sadly completely unable to communicate, but was visibly concious of his surroundings. The family made a rather risky choice in allowing yet another group of scientists to implant a small device into this fellow's brain (MAYBE implanted deep with the lack of movement to shift the brain, not sure, they never went into that detail). This device was designed to pick up signals from the brain, at the motor cortex. Essentially, they were rough coordinates, Y and X. They were hooked up to a computer and it was programmed to use the data picked up to control a mouse cursor. The man soon learned that the mouse cursor would move at his thoughts, and after a few days of learning how to control it, he could finally communicate via a program with many pictures and words to click on. Actually, I'm not sure if the device also picked up bits of signal to determine a "click" or if the program was just designed to detect hovering for selecting, but in any case the man is now happily communicating with his loved ones.
Truly, the similarity between our neurological system and electronic systems is rather amazing. While our brains are most assuredly far more advanced, we're getting closer to understanding little details bit by bit.
Oh yes, as the site above says, the device so far communicates very rough data. To see HOW rough the data is, watch some of the movies that show what the camera is feeding the brain. Seems to be sufficient for slug-like sight, a little better with some other filters, but it should improve I imagine.
Just remember, plugging a giant metal spike into a port on your skull is DANGEROUS if you're moving about :D.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)