Scientists Create Monkey Borg, Nothing Can Go Wrong

[PatrickJS]

Scientists Create Monkey Borg, Nothing Can Go Wrong

Nicolelis went on to enumerate the possible benefits of the technology - brain rehabilitation, such as after a stroke or injury, for example. He does not believe we will keep ourselves plugged-in, though. He also pointed out that it was unlikely we would ever share complex mental experiences using these interfaces.

"You're not going to share your emotions or personality to a brain-net," he said. "These are not reducible to a digital algorithm. You can't reproduce these individual human attributes."

Three-of-Four was quick to reply that there was really no need for emotions or personality. "Let alone individual human attributes," he said, gesturing air quotes with his tiny wrench fingers. "You will be assimilated," he added.

Source: TheGuardian [http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jul/09/monkey-brain-net-raises-prospect-of-human-brain-to-brain-connection]

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[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Redlin no like this science. Science... Stahp.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

This can't end well... Oh no sir. Monkey-borg... great. Thats all we need.

 

[Thaluikhain]

He is dismissive of comparisons to the Borg, Cybermen, and other sci-fi bogey-men: "We're conditioned by Hollywood and movies to think that everything related to science is dangerous and scary. These scary scenarios crossed my mind, and I'm the one doing the experiments."

Yeah, sensationalising it like this isn't helpful.

C'mon, it's just primates working together. I did that the other week, using the power of verbal communication. Of course, it didn't work very well, because the other primates were less than helpful, but humans have been able to "link brains" by using their mouths and ears (or via the medium of writing) for some time now.

 

[Sarge034]

Yeah, sensationalising it like this isn't helpful.

C'mon, it's just primates working together. I did that the other week, using the power of verbal communication. Of course, it didn't work very well, because the other primates were less than helpful, but humans have been able to "link brains" by using their mouths and ears (or via the medium of writing) for some time now.

Yeah? Just you wait till they (the monkeys) start using this arm manipulation tech to throw poop. Then you'll be singing a different tune!!! Really though hive mind stuff, while very useful, is very easy to manipulate for nefarious purposes.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Really though hive mind stuff, while very useful, is very easy to manipulate for nefarious purposes.

Excepting that this isn't what this is. It's 3 monkeys working together. They could have been pulling levers to get the same result, and nobody would have used the word "Borg".

 

[truckspond]

So as it turns out "The Drift" from Pacific rim is actually possible with today's technology... Now all we need is a skyscraper sized humanoid robot and we'll be ready for a Kaiju invasion.

 

[Sarge034]

Excepting that this isn't what this is. It's 3 monkeys working together. They could have been pulling levers to get the same result, and nobody would have used the word "Borg".

You're over simplifying it. It's 3 monkeys communicating through a computer with their minds. Can we communicate and work together right now as you said before? Yes. Can we do it by directly linking our minds? No. Is this tech inherently "evil"? No, but easily twisted to be.

 

[Alleged_Alec]

I'm sorry, but I think it's outright shameful that you guys are writing about a research paper without even linking the paper.

 

[Dalek Caan]

This is the second Star-Trek-esque technology revealed in as many weeks. Bring on the transporter beam!

I've never watched Star Trek but from what the internet has told me don't those rip apart the body and basically make a copy? It wouldn't actually be me coming out one end.

OT: I fully support this kinda stuff if it can actually help people who have suffered some brain injury, just don't let Planet of the Apes happen.

 

[ForumSafari]

I've never watched Star Trek but from what the internet has told me don't those rip apart the body and basically make a copy? It wouldn't actually be me coming out one end.

This is one of those horrible implications things that I imagine people in universe just try not to think about.

 

[Alleged_Alec]

This is the second Star-Trek-esque technology revealed in as many weeks. Bring on the transporter beam!

I've never watched Star Trek but from what the internet has told me don't those rip apart the body and basically make a copy? It wouldn't actually be me coming out one end.

http://existentialcomics.com/comic/1

 

[Poetic Nova]

I'm honestly not sure if I should feel uneasy or impressed about this.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

I'm impressed. I like that one day humans might be able to do things like this. Imagine what could be accomplished if the world's 5 greatest scientists were able to Voltron their brains?

 

[Colt47]

What I like about this is that one could build much more interactivity into vehicles and other non-organic instruments by allowing interfacing into the brain. We already make tools a natural extension of ourselves anyway, so taking it further should be greatly beneficial.

 

[BeerTent]

All I can think about right now is the applications for a ShadowRun/Cyberpunk esq Cyber-Space for these monkeys and rats to go inside of.

And then I'm thinking of the possibility that Humanity will obtain this technology within our lifetimes. I've been quoted, that I don't care if there's a 90% mortality rate on installation. If the deck exists before I'm 60, I'm doing it no later than that age.

Spoiler: And finally, I'm reminded of this little gem.

That's me, right now...​

 

[Lightknight]

If experiences can be sent digitally then this means that experiences could be stored and re-experienced. There are huge commercial applications to this. Could be an entire new form of media too at some point. The brain-machine interface alone is major and as we begin to understand this technology we could eventually have the ability to import general information in addition to augmenting the brain directly to the point where it can query outside of itself without the use of the five senses like we do now.

What's more is that this could lead to full personhood mapping as well as digital storing of a person (thoughts, personality, etc) and could eventually lead to human singularity with machines (hopefully they also figure out how to store data on our hormonal fluctuations which also make us who we are beyond the pure information stored in our minds).

If I were to leave my current field and devote my time to any scientific field at the moment, this would be it. The result could be a permanent end to mortality and human suffering.

 

[PatrickJS]

I've never watched Star Trek but from what the internet has told me don't those rip apart the body and basically make a copy? It wouldn't actually be me coming out one end.

There are quite a few competing philosophies about this, and it's explored in a variety of short stories and novels. The fantasy novel Kraken, by China Mieville, actually goes the furthest in the direction of "teleportation equals death," and does it wonderfully. Star Trek itself, despite all the transporter accidents sending people back/forwards in time or to alternate dimensions or summoning their evil universe twin, suggested that there was an 'essence' of a person that was actually being moved, not just broken down and copied.

 

[PatrickJS]

I'm sorry, but I think it's outright shameful that you guys are writing about a research paper without even linking the paper.

Oof. My mistake here. We always try to link to the studies, when possible, and this time it entirely slipped my mind. The article has been updated.