A group of scientists has successfully controlled the movement of mice remotely in clinical tests, could humans be next? Lead scientist and physics professor Arnd Pralle Ph.D. has developed a technique that forced lab mice to perform certain actions.
The technique requires the implantation of specially built DNA strands and nanoparticles. If perfected, the technology could one day be used to digitize the human brain, allowing people to perform tasks they could otherwise not or won't do themselves.
Imagine someone remotely controlling your brain, forcing your body’s central processing organ to send messages to your muscles that you didn’t authorize. It’s an incredibly scary thought, but scientists have managed to accomplish this science fiction nightmare for real, albeit on a small scale, and they were even able to prompt their test subject to run, freeze in place, or even completely lose control over its limbs. Thankfully, the research will be used for good rather than evil, for now at least.
Forced actions
The effort, led by physics professor Arnd Pralle PhD, of the University at America’s Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences, focused on a technique called “magneto-thermal stimulation.”
It’s not exactly a simple process — because it requires the implantation of specially built DNA strands and nanoparticles which attach to specific neurons. But once the minimally invasive procedure is over, the brain can be remotely controlled via an alternating magnetic field. When those magnetic inputs are applied, the particles heat up, causing the neurons to fire.
Despite only being tested on mice, the research could have far-reaching implications in the realm of brain research.
Image courtesy of: Onkel Ulle
