A pair of philosophers sounded the alarm on the dystopian applications they see being ushered in by brain-computer interface (BCI) technology.
“This interface could revolutionize the way we interact with technology.”
Researchers from the University of Cambridge have created a new type of neural implant that could restore limb function in paralyzed limbs.
There have been former attempts at using neural implants to restore limb function, but these mostly failed. This is because scar tissue can envelop the electrodes over time, disrupting the connection between the device and the nerve.
Continue reading “New ‘biohybrid’ implant will restore function in paralyzed limbs” »
What if you could control a device, not with your hand, but with your mind? Physician and entrepreneur Tom Oxley talks about the implantable brain-computer interface that can change the way we think.
Near Death Experience Research Foundation the largest collection of Near Death Experiences (NDE) in over 23 Languages. With thousands of full-text near death experiences posted. Share your near death experience, research, spiritually transforming events, consciousness studies, extensive information and research.
In this video, we will explore the positional system of the brain — hippocampal place cells. We will see how it relates to contextual memory and mapping of more abstract features.
OUTLINE:
00:00 Introduction.
00:53 Hippocampus.
1:27 Discovery of place cells.
2:56 3D navigation.
3:51 Role of place cells.
4:11 Virtual reality experiment.
7:47 Remapping.
11:17 Mapping of non-spatial dimension.
13:36 Conclusion.
Continue reading “Place cells: How your brain creates maps of abstract spaces” »
For individuals suffering from drug addiction, certain cues—whether it’s specific people, places or things—can trigger powerful cravings for repeated use.
A new University of Michigan study has identified brain signals, traditionally associated with inflammation, contributing to people’s vulnerability to addiction. With repeated drug use with the same exposure to cues, some individuals develop an inability to control their drug use, even in the face of negative consequences.
The study is published in the journal eNeuro.
The study authors claim their microscope can provide colored real-time images of hard-to-reach parts of the spinal cord that couldn’t be accessed previously.
Pain is a powerful feeling but have you ever wondered how pain works on a cellular level? Well, a team of scientists at the San Diego-based Salk Insitute has actually figured out a way to see the internal neural mechanism associated with pain.
In their recently published study, they propose wearable microscopes using which they were able to check how nerve cells in the spinal cord of mice process pain signals.
Continue reading “Wearable microscopes show HD images of pain processed” »
The powerful psychedelic can give you a near-death experience. Here is how it affects your brain on the inside.
Dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, is a powerful psychedelic whose effect on the human brain lasts for only some minutes, but in that short span of time, the user experiences some high-level mental changes.
The researchers examined the brain activity of the participants before, during, and after the DMT test. Here is what they found.
Continue reading “Scientists unlock effect of psychedelic drug DMT on the human brain” »
http://www.ted.com Philosopher Dan Dennett makes a compelling argument that not only don’t we understand our own consciousness, but that half the time our brains are actively fooling us.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers are invited to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, politics and the arts. Watch the Top 10 TEDTalks on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10
Daniel Dennett.
May 14, 2014
Serious thinkers contend that free will cannot exist in a deterministic universe — one in which events are the singular outcomes of the conditions in which they occur. The alternative view, that free will is prerequisite for personal responsibility and morality, is the basis of our legal and religious institutions. Philosopher Daniel Dennett unravels this conundrum and asks whether we must jettison one of these notions, or whether they can co-exist. He then asks: if free will is an illusion, as many scientists say, should we conclude that we don’t need real free will to be responsible for our actions?
Continue reading “Is Free Will an Illusion? What Can Cognitive Science Tell Us?” »
