Science is getting magical by inducing messages into the brain to navigate an invisible maze. Can this be used for inducing images, thought control, or mind control? Not yet, but some day maybe.
A lot of research goes into getting information from the brain. Darby Losey and colleagues at the University of Washington, are interested in putting information into the brain. And that's what they have done, described in a research article published in November, titled: Navigating a 2D Virtual World Using Direct Brain Stimulation.
Picture yourself in front a blank screen that regularly asks if you want to move forward or make a turn.
What's the goal? You need to get out of a simple maze, only, you can't see it with your eyes.
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This is the setup for the experiment. Some people tested get to have a real transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) device induce signals into the primary visual cortex at the back of their brain. While some have a placebo setup.
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TMS - Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is used to produce small electrical currents into the brain via electromagnetic induction. Even scientifically, this is literally inducing signals, messages, i.e. information, into the brain.
Normally, this device is used to measure the connection, receive information, between the brain and muscles to diagnose damage from a stroke, MS and other movement disorders affecting the nerves in the head and spine. Rare side effects of using TMS are fainting and less so seizures.
The TMS creates small electric currents, which, at certain intensities, induce the perception of a flash of light, called a phosphene. We can experience these light perceptions when we rub our closed eyes. The word phosphene means "to show light", when no light enters the eye. They can be seen randomly with misfiring of cells, or be induced with electrical, mechanism or magnetic stimulation.
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Maze Details
When someone starts off in the maze, they are at a wall. When someone is at a wall, the periodic TMS pulse that is sent signals such is the case. The person will receive an above-threshold TMS pulse at wall. if there is no wall is in front of the them, a subthreshold pulse is triggered instead to signal the difference between a wall and no wall.
For each maze, the subject has ten guesses for movement to complete the maze. They only get to see the results of their avatars movements at the end.
The white dot marks the location you would be at, if you chose the correct direction each time.
As more time went by, people experienced more and learned how to understand the signals more accurately. They improved their accuracy of movement as a result.
Losey and his team can get people to accurately complete, on average, 92% of a maze's steps to be followed to get out. While others who don't actually receive any TMS stimulation with the fake machine, only complete 15% of the step and can't get out in the 10 step limit.
These are some of the mazes the participants "ran" through in their minds alone:
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Future
This can lead to advances in virtual reality technology, specifically augmented reality, where you can see or feel what happens in a virtual environment, as if you were really there.
More importantly though, are the great advantages for blind people this can bring. "Visual" clues can be induced through TMS to help navigate surroundings. Right now, the technology is only binary information of two choices, but it can be developed to carry and deliver more information as the technology grows.
There is also the size factor before it can be adopted as a mobile device for walking and interacting in reality. Eventually, instead of interfacing glasses or headsets, the connection will go directly to the brain to feed you information. Everything will simply be in front of us where only we can see it, like much sci-fi media has already shown us.
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As my first paragraph suggests, this has implications to be used by darker minds. Feeding people information, without them having to see it or experience it directly, is potentially dangerous for the freedom and privacy of every individual. As was mentioned, TMS can also pick up information. If the induction technology progresses far enough to induce, it could also be possible to extract information from the brain. Then none of our memories are private.
This is all speculation and paranoia of possibilities, but I envision both the good and evil potentials. If you have watched enough Ghost in the Shell and other sci-fi movies and fiction, you might have an idea of why I am suspicious of all the invasive technology. Especially striving for such escapism and power to modify our lives, when we haven't evolved to the level of consciousness to be able to use the technology responsibly.
We have progressed far and fast technologically in the last century, more so than in all human history. We have not caught up morally nor evolved consciousness. We have not learned enough of the lessons from history. Advancing rapidly in technology could bring about great benefits to humanity, while at the same time be our downfall by our own hands due to being immature children who don't yet understand the power we have to crate, alter, manifest, generate and shape the world before us.
Humans are the ones who will misuse the technology we create. We have to be vigilant if we want to remain free.
Thank you for your time and attention! I appreciate the knowledge reaching more people. Take care. Peace.
Resources:
- Navigating a 2D Virtual World Using Direct Brain Stimulation
- Brain stimulation guides people through an invisible maze
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation
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@krnel
2016-12-09, 1:12pm
a-maze-ing. i guess now the best idea would be to make a conscious effort to evolve beyond being maze rats.
informative as usual, thank you.
I freaking love science!!
As much as the monkey? :P
I was just talking about waiting for the implants yesterday or the day before (the days all bleed together). I would go for this in a second, since I am too boring for the government to want to control my mind.
Interesting as usual :)
Nice!
wow thats great!
Slightly frightening prospect.
This is so cool, thanks for sharing! It's so great that there are so many options out there, and there is such a prevalence of technology for the blind as well, such as these smart glasses for blind from OrCam. I hope that the world of VR/AI for the blind and vision impaired continues to grow in the near future. :)