Researchers Remotely Control Cockroaches With Electronic Backpack

[TriGGeR_HaPPy]

Hmmm. I don't want to take away from this experiment's findings, but perhaps if the roaches could also be monitored somehow for their general health... I know this is going to sound pathetic, but the thought of running them to death so we can know stuff kinda makes me sad.

Lol, this post actually made me laugh out loud.

I kill cockroaches when I get the pest control guy out to spray my house, I also step on them every time I come across one.

Making them work for us is a step up.

P.S they are not animals, they are under animals

Well, if you have an infestation, I can see how your attitude might be different. But 'working for us' isn't quite the same as 'enslaved and jolted'. Again, I'm aware that we are talking about bugs, but it still rattles me a bit.

P.S they are animals. Bugs, true, but still animals.

Pretty much this.

I understand practically every point made in this thread, and I can see where everyone is coming from. There's still something about this which doesn't feel right for me is all...

 

[mdqp]

But seriously, this is actually amazing - they've already said something about helping find people trapped by Earthquakes with this, and utilizing the cockroaches Archeologists could probably get around to finally fully exploring the Egyptian Pyramids they've been dying to do for a few years, but couldn't as current cameras are too bulky, slow or threaten to damage the structure with their movements.

Meanwhile, the Torturing insects point of yours... isn't really that big a point. The Cockroaches don't feel pain in the same way that people do (instead of a central nervous system, they have nerve endings on the outside of their carapace that are photosensitive - why they run away when you turn on the lights. Internal pain doesn't register due to... well, lacking a central nervous system); and, had you read the source article, you would have noticed that the process doesn't actually cause the Cockroach any pain; rather, the system plays a 'trick' on the cockroach, directing it's own natural functions (flee from predator response, which is just an organ that registers air movement around the cockroach) and the 'reins' of the cockroach mimic the pulses the roaches own antenna generate when it touches a solid object. It's not Torture, more a simple deception - once the machine is turned off, the Cockroach returns to normal, no mental scarring or crippling injuries whatsoever.

And, before anyone jumps in with the whole 'I wouldn't want to be in that position', I'd just like to point out - Cockroach brains are completely different to human brains in structure; while studies on whether or not they are Conscious have so far been inconclusive, the odds of them having similar emotions or states of mind equivalent to a complex being are astronomical. Hell, the reason this experiment probably worked so well is due to the Cockroach being a) unable to perceive what was going on and b) the fact that they were playing on it's instinctual reactions, which drive everything Cockroaches do.

Just quoting because this is well put together. People that think a cockroach can be home for something more complex than "hungry->search for food!" and "danger->run away!" doesn't sound like he/she knows a lot about those insects. Also, I guess that everybody trying to "defend" the cockroaches are at least vegetarians, as it would sound hypocritical, otherwise (the animals we eat didn't have any freedom, often they are raised in conditions of minimal space/comfort... And of course we eat them and we kill them, something that wouldn't happen to these cockroaches, at least not on purpose).

 

[TrevHead]

I'm not to fond of wireing electrodes to bugs either, it's still an animal with a brain right?

While i'm all for using animals for the greater good It's a slippery slope from this to putting a stop button on Pit Bull Dogs or working dogs or even murderers and peidophiles

 

[C F]

First off: creepy. Completely and utterly unnerving.

Now that that's been established, I do have some questions. How much does it cost to produce and hook up each one of these units? Are the packs re-usable, or will a new pack have to be made in the event that a roach dies and needs to be replaced? Is this something that is feasible for large-scale search-and-rescue deployments? Could we use them in irradiated areas? As I recall, cockroaches are fast little buggers. When do we begin our RC-Cockroach races? What is the smallest mountable projectile launcher we have? Do cockroaches dream of insectoid sheep? Are they Bluetooth compatible? Can a roach's eyes see why we love cinnamon toast crunch? Am I ever going to feel remorse for forcing such inferior and pathetic creatures into slavery for my own gain? Probably not, they're little more than biological computers! Nature's janitorbot has been re-purposed into our spy drone!

 

[Groenteman]

Its people that fail to see the difference between an insect with the mental capacity of a pocket calculator and other, vastly more complex creatures that will be the least use in one day determining where to draw the line for how far we should take this sort of technology.

I like animals as much as the next man but its these people clamouring about cockroach rights, or lab animals used for research that likely ended up saving several people (and/or animals) they hold dear, make it very hard to for anyone that matters to take even the valid arguments seriously.

Lines like 'Can we stop torturing bugs like children and work on curing AIDS or something?' writes you off instantly as either ignorant or incapable/unwilling to understand. Nobody is going to listen to that.

Edit: also glad im not the only one who thought of roach races hehehe.

 

[BlazeRaider]

Hmm, there seem to be a lot of people that think this type of technology will be implemented on humans but... isn't it already? This cockroach controller seems to operate on making the roach 'want' to move in a certain way, which is very similar to this device,


It's actually kinda funny we did this for humans before we did it for cockroaches.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

Can we stop torturing bugs like children and work on curing AIDS or something?

Anyone who makes this statement, be they the janitor or the president, and isn't joking around about it, demonstrates a lack of understanding of basic concepts of science, engineering and ethics. Namely:
1. Electronics isn't medicine
2. Potentially saving lives isn't in any way, shape or form behaving like children
3. Stimulating the nerve cells of an organism that cannot feel pain and understands the world in a very different way is in no way, shape or form related to the human notion of torture.
This is not opinion, nor am I trying to express it as opinion. The following, however, is:

In other words, how presumptuous of you to insult people who are doing humanity a favor by deriding them out of your inflated sense of self-righteousness and your misunderstanding of insects' nervous systems. And when people try to show you how you're wrong, you turtle up and take the "I don't like your attitude" stance completely ignoring anything they might be trying to tell you and instead attacking their completely justified reactions to your silly behavior. At the moment you are no better than a 12 year old youtube commenter, closed to any kind of rational discourse and just trying to proclaim moral superiority over your "opponent" in a meaningless passive-aggressive war. You are not the person you consider yourself to be.

Man, I'm so gonna get banned for this.

EDIT: oh, forgot to point out the irony of you accusing me of asking loaded questions when you yourself began posting here with one.

I think it's pretty neat and useful, and we totally should us but... c'mon dude, s'fucked up to essentially mind control another living thing. Remove the fact it's something as insignificant as a cockroach, it's something that's alive. And one of the ways we're controling it is by making it feel like it's being under constant attack by predators.

s'fucked up man. You KNOW that means the entire time that cockroach is thinking "Oh Shit! Birds gonna eat me! Ahhhh! FUCK! WHY SO MANY WALLS! Boy I'd like to rest and eat.... AHHH! FUCKING BIRDS ARE COMING FOR ME!"

 

[AdamRBi]

This is really cool.

I mean, with all we know about insect "hivemind" properties this could lead to an effective method of pest control.

But, on the subjects that people of the thread seem to enjoy;

What makes you people think that scientists working with wireless transmitters and insects can just turn a corner and start curing deseases? That's like asking a game developer to direct a movie. They can, but there are other guys doing it better and that's not what their focus is.

Also, Cockroaches are organisms that just react to stimulus; not the same as higher creatures who's information processing is more advanced.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SI_clrCcQAo/UEt9Ofz1ayI/AAAAAAAAC5s/FmSpeu1KJPc/s400/dawwroach.jpeg

No, stop! Don't look at me like that! I didn't mean you! I'M SORRY!!

 

[SnakeoilSage]

Can we stop torturing bugs like children and work on curing AIDS or something?

Seriously. And fill in a few potholes while you're at it, would you? Way throw grant money around.

 

[O maestre]

i need to get several roaches with backpacks somehow divide them into two and let them fight each other in an epic battle. In miniature scale of course... at least until the shrink ray and its opposite counter part are invented

 

[Vareoth]

Issues of morality aside: this is a very interesting concept and I can't wait to see it developed further.

 

[MorganL4]

Question: Does PETA care about Cockroaches? I have no idea, to be honest, but this seems like the kind of thing they tend to get up in arms about.

 

[saruman31]

Can we stop torturing bugs like children and work on curing AIDS or something?

Some other scientists are doing that. There is absolutely nothing morally wrong with doing this.

 

[Reincarnatedwolfgod]

well this thread became a shit storm fast
i don't care a about the life of a Cockroach
and i value human life more then i value any other animal or insect

while i have no moral issues with this experiment i don't get how is exactly useful to the future of mankind
but i find it interesting

if you quoting me to argue morals; then i will agree to disagree automatically and not reply you(in other words i will ignore you).

Question: Does PETA care about Cockroaches? I have no idea, to be honest, but this seems like the kind of thing they tend to get up in arms about.

peta had an issue with obama killing a fly so they would have a problem with this

 

[templar1138a]

My brain has two responses to this.

1. With a little more work to make the backpack less noticeable, these could be used for surveillance as well. Dun. Dun. Duh duh dun. Dun. Duh duh dun. Dun...

2. Aaaaaaand the animal rights extremists are going to have a FIELD DAY with this.

 

[Scorpid]

Can we stop torturing bugs like children and work on curing AIDS or something?

These researchers aren't medical doctors they're biologists. They've spent years of their life studying to do things like this.

 

[M-E-D The Poet]

The moment we start valuing the lives of cockroaches over those of humans is the moment I say feck off to anyone who's trying to argue in favor of it.

Cockroaches are despicable insects that only exist where there is filth and decay, they carry diseases that make us and other animals sick.

When you squash a cockroach you carry its eggs and you spread more of these insects into the world.


My personal opinion is that valuing the life of a cockroach over that of a human is just perverse and quite dangerous, for valuing the life of a cockroach more means that all humans can be damned for your part and that makes you a menace to society.

 

[darkbshadow]

In the process of reading this article and all the posts in this thread I have killed a cockroach, So yeah no problem with this at all.

Now I can't wait for the other creations that can be found in the movie "Fifth Element". Just never thought the Cockroach spy bug was ever going to be invented.

 

[conflictofinterests]

I'm conflicted between my hatred of roaches and my excitement for science.

 

[Lyvric]

I think it's an idea that has great chance for helping society. Little fellows who can get into disasters or moniter a sticky situation.

On the other side, I hate the fear technique. Obsticals I can see why, but fear? Maybe filtering smells for temptation? Smells like food? sparking curiosity? I imagine there's a way to do it.

Oh, and all you people who say bugs can't feel, fear, hunger, or care? It makes me feel very sad to hear this. I have kept bugs as pets. I had a well trained spider that did tricks, was terrified by the sound of crickets, and 'wagged' its legs in the air when it had it's big bum petted.

I've had hermit crabs (land and ocean) that fought for dominance, some that would be adorably shy, and others that would bully and devour. Same with shrimp and other exo-skeleton based life. There are also many bugs that would die before their babies do.

Fear, reproduction, hunger, pain, and satisfaction are all parts of just being alive regardless of how strong of a degree something interprets it. It's all apart of eat or be eatten.

It doesn't matter what teeny tiny organic being this is used for. Let's find a way to use this discovery both for science and do it with a little less fear.