Virtual Reality and the Future

[UED77]

One day, almost 3 months ago, I was staring out the window of the school bus, looking at the same boring vista I stared at for more than a year… and I wondered about how cool it would be to know what other people think of me. Of course, first I dismissed this as impossible. But then, I started thinking about it, and this is what I came up with:

The brain emits all kinds of electromagnetic impulses. Even with current technology, it is possible to detect these "brain waves". Electrodes can be positioned on the temples and other places, which detect the impulses, which are then logged and saved into a computer.
I believe that it's reasonable to suspect that when giving a single math problem to a person while logging his brain activity, it is possible to record and then analyze and decipher how the brain actually stores data. Given a sufficient amount of such tests, I think it's possible that eventually the brain's internal encoding will be understood.

This is where virutal reality comes in. By using a special device to generate the same type of impulses the brain uses, it would be possible to jam and distrupt the brain, which would lead to a form of mind control. However, if used carefully, this could revolutionize the world we live in.
By using synthetic brain waves to induce a reaction of the body, it would be possible to create a huge Virtual Reality system, which would be extremely robust.
Think of it. There would be no headphones, no VR visor, just two electodes strapped onto your temples. You would see a picture of a table with a cup of steaming coffee on it. You would hear the fan buzzing overhead. You would smell the coffee. Were you to touch it, your movement commands get sent over the internet to the processing center, which overlays your real-life movement with the virtual environment. If you touch the cup, you would feel that it is hot, possibly even the familiar feeling of burning your hand – without actually damaging your skin.
The possibilities are endless. This could be used for education, entertainment, even matchmaking and — yes, even that. You get the idea.

Opinions?

UED77

[TranquilNightElf]

Though it is currently possible to initialte some sort of control using merely brainwave (more or less) to achieve that kind of mind control would require at least a decade or 3 of research.
Right now they can't even tell what part of the brain goes out or why people actually lose consciousness when given an anaesthetic for example.

Speaking of rudimentary brainwave control, a professor was able to control a robot miles away by sending electrical signals from the brain through the internet.

[riBd]

But when you died in VR, wouldn't your brain shut down your heart becuase it thinks it's dead?

[Valjean]

But when you died in VR, wouldn't your brain shut down your heart becuase it thinks it's dead?
Not if they programed some sort of fail safe into it. =P

[Cygnus]

It's possible of course, eventually. But right now that's decades or a quarter of a century off.

But the question is, would you trust those inducing the programming?

[TranquilNightElf]

the question would be ...would you trust the "ghost in the machines ..random bits of code?" ;)

[Valjean]

Well, I'd imagine the machines would be used for gaming or for depressed people. =P

[hammocksleeper]

By using synthetic brain waves to induce a reaction of the body, it would be possible to create a huge Virtual Reality system, which would be extremely robust.
Think of it. There would be no headphones, no VR visor, just two electodes strapped onto your temples. You would see a picture of a table with a cup of steaming coffee on it. You would hear the fan buzzing overhead. You would smell the coffee. Were you to touch it, your movement commands get sent over the internet to the processing center, which overlays your real-life movement with the virtual environment. If you touch the cup, you would feel that it is hot, possibly even the familiar feeling of burning your hand – without actually damaging your skin.Hey UED, that has already been invented. It's called the Matrix. :p


But yeah I had an EEG done once, it's crazy what they can do. I had to fall asleep so they could run tests and stuff but while I was still awake the nurses were looking at the computer screen that was hooked up to my head, and they could tell amazing things, such as when I blinked, or swallowed, it's really neat.

[EdvardMunch]

They can already do the first part, of reading your mind via brainwaves. I'm sure you already heard about it, but scientists were able to teach monkeys to control a robotic arm with their mind after being hooked up to brain wave readers. Here's an article on it: http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/10/13/monkey_brain031013

I think the question could be raised that how much fun is too much fun? Assuming this equipment is affordable, I can betcha money it would be more popular and have a higher addiction rate than EverQuest. If people start getting addicted to Virtual Reality in a disorderly way, should the government step in and make laws against it? I believe they should. The purpose of government is (should be) to protect its citizens from excessive physical and mental harm, sometimes from themselves (although that could lead us into a debate about whether suicide should be illegal, which is tricky).

And then there's the question of the pros and cons of reality. Do we have some sort of metaphysical obligation to experience true life, and not well organized fake life? I don't know man... but it keeps me up at night.

I think VR would dwindle the individual's comfort zone and make them less likely to experience life and, although I cannot think of a rational argument against this, I can make an argument from experience: I have forgotten the hundreds of times (I'm sure) that my hardcore Diablo II druid escaped death with 4 HP, but I can describe in the most vivid detail the day a friend of mine and I went hiking together. Reality is simply more fun IMO.

[Valjean]

If they make VR illegal, then they should make cigarretes and alchohal illegal too. =/

I however don't think that addictive substances should be illegal though. If they're illegal, then the people who get away with selling these sorts of things will make alot of money, as the stuff would be hard to get and be "rare".

[UED77]

The thing is, Edvard, this would be so addictive, that this could actually become our future. "Actual" would cease to exist, at least for those already addicted. And that makes me wonder whether it would really be a good thing. I'm divided on this issue, because a part of me would actually like to experience this type of all-encompassing VR on such a massive scale. The ultimate MMORPG.
Yet, I fear that if humanity does reach the level of technological advances where this feat of engineering would be possible, virtual reality might take control of our lives and supercede actuality.

UED77

[Valjean]

Well then put laws in place before hand that only allows limited use of VR, like with gaming.

[hammocksleeper]

Yet, I fear that if humanity does reach the level of technological advances where this feat of engineering would be possible, virtual reality might take control of our lives and supercede actuality.

UED77
This VR will never completely take over, because, after all, someone has to construct and maintain these machines. And where do they get the resources for this construction and maintenance? I think it could drastically change life as we know it, but won't ever be able to take over completely.

[Killphill]

People could get so addicted to it that they would spend days or even weeks in the "Virtual World". But your body in the real world would die right? Lack of food and water. Unless you were hooked up to an IV. But you'd probely terible when you'd leave the machine (lack of excersise and real food, ect.) and you would just go back in. Your condition in the real world would just get worse and it would soon be unbearable to go back.

[Battlecruiser]

Unless you get like vitamins and stuff injected into your while you are in Virtual Reality for a long time, you will die. But yeah, UED, your right. If you get addicted, your gone.

I think Virtual Reality can be used for very good purposes and fun purposes, as long as everything is controlled, and you don't stay in the virtual reality thing for days.

[Valjean]

Heh. And thus those addicted to VR get wipped from the gene pool. =P

But seriously, Killphill is right. Well, that is, if it's used for over a day....

if it's used every couple of hours, and they make sure they aren't addicted, then VR can be very helpful and fun.

EDIT: Damn, BC beat me to it. =P

[UED77]

EDIT: Darn, I was beaten by both of you =P

The food and drink problem could be easily solved. Special "calorie-bombs", tablettes with huge energy content could be used in conjunction with the VR system. There could be a special limiting mechanism that would not allow you to continue VRing if you did not take your food tablet or drink enough fluid. Also, this would come with an added bonus: once the package of the tablette is opened and it is ingested, the system would send this to the control center, which would then allow you to enter a VR restaurant and order virtual food. And since this would only be authorized once you've taken your food tablette, you would never starve to death.

The problem of the deterioration of the muscles is a serious one, tho. But IF VR to this extent ever is implemented, uploading the whole mind into a stable system would be a piece of cake with that technology.

Ahh, the "bright utopistic future", huh? Just a bunch of minds on huge servers…

UED77

[Battlecruiser]

EDIT: Darn, I was beaten by both of you =P

The food and drink problem could be easily solved. Special "calorie-bombs", tablettes with huge energy content could be used in conjunction with the VR system. There could be a special limiting mechanism that would not allow you to continue VRing if you did not take your food tablet or drink enough fluid. Also, this would come with an added bonus: once the package of the tablette is opened and it is ingested, the system would send this to the control center, which would then allow you to enter a VR restaurant and order virtual food. And since this would only be authorized once you've taken your food tablette, you would never starve to death.

The problem of the deterioration of the muscles is a serious one, tho. But IF VR to this extent ever is implemented, uploading the whole mind into a stable system would be a piece of cake with that technology.

Ahh, the "bright utopistic future", huh? Just a bunch of minds on huge servers…

UED77
Maybe if you give them a quest, and they have to run around alot, sort of like any MMORPG, you can give them a special threadmill or something, so that they can actually run, but you send signals to the brain that the person is not tired, so they keep running, but when the computer detects that the person is too weak to run anymore, it stops the running. That way the person can get exercise.

[EdvardMunch]

If they make VR illegal, then they should make cigarretes and alchohal illegal too. =/

I however don't think that addictive substances should be illegal though. If they're illegal, then the people who get away with selling these sorts of things will make alot of money, as the stuff would be hard to get and be "rare".
Although I'd agree with making cigarettes and alcohol illegal, I bet it wouldn't make things better. There are plenty of countries that have legalized certain drugs, and they have less of a problem with them than we do. But does that mean all drugs should be legalized? I'm sure they shouldn't but... well, I just don't know the answer.

And besides, gambling addiction is a huge problem for those who are addicted. Does that mean gambling should be outlawed? Nope. I really don't know at what point something should be outlawed. What would the rest of you say should mark the criteria for "too dangerous to be legal"?

I think it would be much better if they invented a machine or drug or something that could influence (not control) what your dreams are. As awesome as dreaming is, people seem to know that dreams are fleeting, and that they do not need to rush to have another one, because they'll have another dream tonight. Then again, once you develop control over the dream, does the addiction factor rise? Did any of you lucid dreamers out there get addicted to dreaming when you started lucid dreaming?

[Valjean]

As I've said before, I don't think anything should be outlawed, but if anything, have all things addictive outlawed like gambling, VR, cigaretes and alchohal. It's either everything or nothing. =/

And yes, control over dreaming would cause an addiction. If me could control dreams and the such, then people would start to get stuck in those fantasys as much as they would with regular VR, possibly more so.

I personally want VR for MMORPGing. =P

But not like with a weird battle system with boring clicks, but something that requires real skill (unless you're using like magic or something in the game....XD).

[hammocksleeper]

I really don't know at what point something should be outlawed. Nor do a lot of people.

What would the rest of you say should mark the criteria for "too dangerous to be legal"? I put the bar as high as it can go, so high that EVERYTHING fits under it.

[UED77]

BC, the problem is that muscles need actual physical work in order to prevent degradation. There are two ways to work out this problem. One would be that the VR terminated at regular intervals and it would not allow you to play if you have not achieved an adequate state of fitness ; the other is the complete discarding of the human body and utilizing only the human mind, stored on a server.

But since the second one is a bit (too) creepy, I would rather go for the first one.


Edvard, we can acutally start a spin-off about the legal state of drugs if you really want to. Or perhaps we should save that until Intellectual Roundtable dies out again.

UED77

[Battlecruiser]

BC, the problem is that muscles need actual physical work in order to prevent degradation. There are two ways to work out this problem. One would be that the VR terminated at regular intervals and it would not allow you to play if you have not achieved an adequate state of fitness ; the other is the complete discarding of the human body and utilizing only the human mind, stored on a server.

But since the second one is a bit (too) creepy, I would rather go for the first one.


Edvard, we can acutally start a spin-off about the legal state of drugs if you really want to. Or perhaps we should save that until Intellectual Roundtable dies out again.

UED77
I am not sure how to explain it, but I will try. I meant to say that the server would first somehow make the brain, make the guy really run (not in virtual reality), but while he is running, the server would then tell the brain to realease some stuff from your harmones so that you become happy. That way you are running, and you won't even notice it.

Or maybe I am too confused right now.

[UED77]

I think I get what you mean... okay, that's an option. While you're away in a dream world that looks and feels like the real one, you're body is exercizing hard.

UED77

[Valjean]

Not to mention Vitamins and Water being pumped into you. =P

Of course, we're talking about prolonged use here...what about for like not-so-long-term use? Like, say a portable version that will save and shut off after a certain period of time, judging on wheither or not the person is healthly enough.

[Battlecruiser]

I think I get what you mean... okay, that's an option. While you're away in a dream world that looks and feels like the real one, you're body is exercizing hard.

UED77
Yeah, you got it.

Not to mention Vitamins and Water being pumped into you. =P

Of course, we're talking about prolonged use here...what about for like not-so-long-term use? Like, say a portable version that will save and shut off after a certain period of time, judging on wheither or not the person is healthly enough.
That would be good, but if people can take this virtual reality to their home, some people might mod it and take off all the restrictions and things that force you to eat so that they can play for as long as they want. Then they would play it and get stuck in it until they die. You may ask me why would anyone do that. To answer, I ask you why do people take drugs such as cocaine or ecstasy. So what I am saying is that people can't be trusted to take these things to their homes. There should only be specialized centers for playing or living in virtual reality.

[UED77]

Heh, well, there's really no way to protect these kind of people from themselves, other than by strict encryption of all data that gets sent. There would be people who would die from the VR, just like there are people today who die from (ab)using drugs.

Of course, it would be possible to have VR centers who could terminate the connection of anyone if they stay on too long.

Now that I think of it, this could be a ginormous source of revenue :)
Pay-per-play centers, selling VR.

UED77

[Valjean]

That would be good, but if people can take this virtual reality to their home, some people might mod it and take off all the restrictions and things that force you to eat so that they can play for as long as they want. Then they would play it and get stuck in it until they die. You may ask me why would anyone do that. To answer, I ask you why do people take drugs such as cocaine or ecstasy. So what I am saying is that people can't be trusted to take these things to their homes. There should only be specialized centers for playing or living in virtual reality.
People take drugs such as cocaine or ecstasy because of pear pressure and experimenting. =/

Anyway, these people I don't think should be having VR in the first place. =P

[Killphill]

You would be able to play online right? And then there would be people using hacks. For example:

Your walking though a forest hunting your enemy and you'd be like talking to yuor team members...

Werewolf91:wtf where the is that idiot hes probely just hiding somewhere
Killphill: Lol, probely
UED77: Ok me and BC go south and you guys go north
Battlecruiser: Crap, do you got ac on?
dragonkillerz542: ahahahah i can hear you guys bye bye lozlolzlolz
Battlecruiser : what does he got a sniper?
Killphil: no he's got Mk14

Then dragonkillerz542 would upload the hack and mine and Battlecruiser's head's would exploded...

Werewolf91: You stupid hacker! wtf wtf!
dragonkillerz542: bye bye lolzlolz! stupid newbs!
UED77: man your low you hackerr!

And then their heads would explode...

[Battlecruiser]

You would be able to play online right? And then there would be people using hacks. For example:

Your walking though a forest hunting your enemy and you'd be like talking to yuor team members...

Werewolf91:wtf where the is that idiot hes probely just hiding somewhere
Killphill: Lol, probely
UED77: Ok me and BC go south and you guys go north
Battlecruiser: Crap, do you got ac on?
dragonkillerz542: ahahahah i can hear you guys bye bye lozlolzlolz
Battlecruiser : what does he got a sniper?
Killphil: no he's got Mk14

Then dragonkillerz542 would upload the hack and mine and Battlecruiser's head's would exploded...

Werewolf91: You stupid hacker! wtf wtf!
dragonkillerz542: bye bye lolzlolz! stupid newbs!
UED77: man your low you hackerr!

And then their heads would explode...
HAHAHAHA, nice one, KillPhill. But it could become very true, if there is such a multiplayer virtual reality system.

[Killphill]

That is if you can have a VR system in your home... Then you could just go to the store and buy a new scenairo or you could be software to make one yourself.

[Demosthene5]

By using a special device to generate the same type of impulses the brain uses, it would be possible to jam and distrupt the brain, which would lead to a form of mind controlThe brain emits, but does not recieve anything other than what your five senses give you from the paths of your body's sensory organs.

The real way to harness a human is not through mind control, but rather sensory control. This could be done by having a computer that knows the electrical nerve impulses that are recieved by the brain simply tell the brain what you want it to know. This would have to be attached to the sensory organs of the person surgically in order to have a reliable connection to the brain.

The hardest would be the sense of touch, which happens all over your body. I would imagine it would be possible by doing something to the spine... but if it could be done, you would really have control of someones reality.

If you want something destroyed, place subject in front of it and "tell" him that what is in front of him is something he wants to destroy. Control his desires by what he experiences i.e.: he would kill his cat if he saw (images) it ruthelessly attacking his son (an image).

This person would be at your bidding, and its not so unrealistic as "brain waves being read by your mind"

[Keith]

BTW, they already have what Demosthene5 is talking about, but only for sight and at a basic level. There trying to let blind people see. It requires brain surgury.

[Demosthene5]

BTW, they already have what Demosthene5 is talking about, but only for sight and at a basic level. There trying to let blind people see. It requires brain surgury.Fascinating... it has begun.

On an even more basic level there are hearing aids. Imagine what you could do with a person if you could control what this person was hearing by tinkering with the speakers in the device, maybe connecting them to a radio signal from which you would rule his audio world.

[hammocksleeper]

BTW, they already have what Demosthene5 is talking about, but only for sight and at a basic level. There trying to let blind people see. It requires brain surgury.I have heard about these sight things. Although the only thing the blind guy can see using these devices is a bunch of black and white dots that vaguely resemble the image that he would see if he had normal eyes...it's still pretty amazing though.

[Demosthene5]

I have heard about these sight things. Although the only thing the blind guy can see using these devices is a bunch of black and white dots that vaguely resemble the image that he would see if he had normal eyes...it's still pretty amazing though.
amazing, indeed.
This technology has to start somewhere.

[Draix]

What happens if the person who plays the game looses his grip on reality? I mean whats the difference? Well the real world is harsh and painful, and the VR is fun and has none of the harshness of the world today. What happens when people just say "forget it" and just stay on VR 24-7?

[Uuugggg]

I would envy them =P

Was that article posted here about the lazy person who sat on a couch for two years? It would be like that, but she was euphoric for two straight years =)

[Battlecruiser]

What happens if the person who plays the game looses his grip on reality? I mean whats the difference? Well the real world is harsh and painful, and the VR is fun and has none of the harshness of the world today. What happens when people just say "forget it" and just stay on VR 24-7?
Yeah, your totally right. That is exactly why I think there should Virtual Reality centers, sort of like an internet cafe. They would regulate how long you could stay in virtual reality.

[Draix]

I think it would be awsome, but it would become an addiction... People would be on it all the time, become lazy and never go out and play sports... I mean why would you when you could on VR? Its just one of those "what we want & what we need" things, and we don't need it. Though it would be awsome :)

[bluemicrobyte]

One day, almost 3 months ago, I was staring out the window of the school bus, looking at the same boring vista I stared at for more than a year… and I wondered about how cool it would be to know what other people think of me. Of course, first I dismissed this as impossible. But then, I started thinking about it, and this is what I came up with:

The brain emits all kinds of electromagnetic impulses. Even with current technology, it is possible to detect these "brain waves". Electrodes can be positioned on the temples and other places, which detect the impulses, which are then logged and saved into a computer.
I believe that it's reasonable to suspect that when giving a single math problem to a person while logging his brain activity, it is possible to record and then analyze and decipher how the brain actually stores data. Given a sufficient amount of such tests, I think it's possible that eventually the brain's internal encoding will be understood.

This is where virutal reality comes in. By using a special device to generate the same type of impulses the brain uses, it would be possible to jam and distrupt the brain, which would lead to a form of mind control. However, if used carefully, this could revolutionize the world we live in.
By using synthetic brain waves to induce a reaction of the body, it would be possible to create a huge Virtual Reality system, which would be extremely robust.
Think of it. There would be no headphones, no VR visor, just two electodes strapped onto your temples. You would see a picture of a table with a cup of steaming coffee on it. You would hear the fan buzzing overhead. You would smell the coffee. Were you to touch it, your movement commands get sent over the internet to the processing center, which overlays your real-life movement with the virtual environment. If you touch the cup, you would feel that it is hot, possibly even the familiar feeling of burning your hand – without actually damaging your skin.
The possibilities are endless. This could be used for education, entertainment, even matchmaking and — yes, even that. You get the idea.

Opinions?

UED77wow, I never thought of that before. Your right! virtual reality comes soon! weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. anyways, the only problem with that, is well, lots of things. the first thing that poped into my mind is


how would you get out of this virtual world?
how would you know if you were in the real or virtual world?
what if you got trapped in the virtual world?
/me subscribes to thread because its interesting

Yeah, your totally right. That is exactly why I think there should Virtual Reality centers, sort of like an internet cafe. They would regulate how long you could stay in virtual reality.thats a good idea.

[Fenguin]

One day, almost 3 months ago, I was staring out the window of the school bus, looking at the same boring vista I stared at for more than a year… and I wondered about how cool it would be to know what other people think of me. Of course, first I dismissed this as impossible. But then, I started thinking about it, and this is what I came up with:

The brain emits all kinds of electromagnetic impulses. Even with current technology, it is possible to detect these "brain waves". Electrodes can be positioned on the temples and other places, which detect the impulses, which are then logged and saved into a computer.
I believe that it's reasonable to suspect that when giving a single math problem to a person while logging his brain activity, it is possible to record and then analyze and decipher how the brain actually stores data. Given a sufficient amount of such tests, I think it's possible that eventually the brain's internal encoding will be understood.

This is where virutal reality comes in. By using a special device to generate the same type of impulses the brain uses, it would be possible to jam and distrupt the brain, which would lead to a form of mind control. However, if used carefully, this could revolutionize the world we live in.
By using synthetic brain waves to induce a reaction of the body, it would be possible to create a huge Virtual Reality system, which would be extremely robust.
Think of it. There would be no headphones, no VR visor, just two electodes strapped onto your temples. You would see a picture of a table with a cup of steaming coffee on it. You would hear the fan buzzing overhead. You would smell the coffee. Were you to touch it, your movement commands get sent over the internet to the processing center, which overlays your real-life movement with the virtual environment. If you touch the cup, you would feel that it is hot, possibly even the familiar feeling of burning your hand – without actually damaging your skin.
The possibilities are endless. This could be used for education, entertainment, even matchmaking and — yes, even that. You get the idea.

Opinions?

UED77
Great idea, UED!

However, there is a chance that the idea would not come to fruition until well into the next century. Here's why:

Neuroscientists have long tried to discover the “neural code” – the set of rules in our brain that converts electrochemical signals into perceptions and emotions. If the neural code can be interpreted and taken advantage of, scientists could produce new neural prostheses to aid people who are blind, paralyzed, etc. They could also completely immerse a person in a "virtual world" by obstructing electrochemical signals from the body and using these signals to do things in the virtual world. The person then would not have to move in the real world to do the same in the virtual world.

The scientists' first attempt at deciphering the code led to what is called the "rate code." In this code, in which the intensity of a stimulus is correlated with the firing rate of specific neurons. Thus, F-F-F-F would give a higher intensity than F-----F-----F-----F. However, in this way, the brain would be exceedingly inefficient - the blank spaces between firings is used for nothing. Thus, it seems that the rate code is insufficient to explain our brain.

Other codes include temporal codes, in which information is conveyed in the gaps between each successive firing of a neuron, and chaotic code, in which the firing spikes are just messengers to bring information to a much larger process: the electrical and magnetic fields generated by synaptic currents and the pattern that results from these fields is what causes the advanced processes in the brain. Finally, there is the “grandmother cell hypothesis,” in which a single neuron is dedicated to each person, place, or thing, also cannot be overruled despite the common belief that each piece of the object (i.e. the clothing, the hair, etc) corresponds to its own cell.

We have no clue which code is actually the right one.

Even if we discover the right code for the brain, other problems arise when we try to decipher the brain signals using the code. If the brain dedicates specific cells to people, places, and things, then each neuron wouldn’t be a switch like previously thought, but its own “customized minicomputer.” Then, messages in the brain would consist of just a few cells “whispering” to each other, which would be almost impossible to detect. In addition, the brain has been shown to invent new coding schemes for different situations, and so different people may have completely different neural codes based on their past experiences, making a universal neural code extremely hard to define.

However, the awesome powers of the brain at improvisation can be a good thing for neural engineering. For example, neural implants could be not perfectly accurate and still work, as in the case of cochlear implants. These implants were designed crudely, and were not expected to work, but they worked well enough in some patients to enable deaf people to talk on the telephone. So, perhaps if a common general code is discovered for our brain, we may be able to stick prostheses in and have them work. The VR device would fit into this category. The brain's skill at improvisation is not infinite, though. Other prostheses, like artificial retinas and such, seem to not be able to work, no matter how hard scientists work at them. Hmmm.

In addition, electrodes placed outside the skull are only able to detect electrical activity at large regions in the brain. They cannot reach the level of individual neurons or even the level of a small group of neurons. Since the neural code may be just a small cluster of neurons whispering to each other, electrodes outside the skull would not work. If we want specific control like UED suggested, we would have to detect specific electrochemical signals, and thus we would have to place electrodes inside the skull. And that is not something many people would want, due to the risks involved. Your brain can be shredded by electrodes inside your skull, as since there's some empty space between your brain and your skull, the brain will bounce around and may get sliced by the electrodes' wires.

So who knows? Maybe the VR goggles isn't such a bad idea. :D

[bluemicrobyte]

.............................could you put that in to a shorter, maybe 1 paragraph summary? I read over it really quick an I got something along the lines of "all our brains are different"

[Valjean]

If you're not going to both to read the whole thing, don't try to get a smaller version from someone. Go read the whole thing, learn something. :P

Anyway, Fenguin, couldn't the implants be placed in the spine like Demosthene5 suggested?

[bluemicrobyte]

alright, alright. but could you at least tell me if it was about our brains being different?

[Demosthene5]

Anyway, Fenguin, couldn't the implants be placed in the spine like Demosthene5 suggested?Thats what i was going for, a more perception control than actual mind control, using the languages of the brain. From what Fenguin says, it seems we dont really know much about the subject right now, but we have some things in practice for medical purposes. I dont know much about how the brain works, but I thought that everything that goes to the brain travels through the spine. Thats why it seemed the spine would be the ideal place for the control device. Am I somewhat correct in thinking this?

[Whiteknight]

We're closer than you think.

http://neohio.craintech.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?articleId=3808
http://www.think-a-move.com/technology.html

That just sort of freaks me out... We are already harnessing thought power, it's just another small step until we are controlling or influencing it directly.

[bluemicrobyte]

Thats what i was going for, a more perception control than actual mind control, using the languages of the brain. From what Fenguin says, it seems we dont really know much about the subject right now, but we have some things in practice for medical purposes. I dont know much about how the brain works, but I thought that everything that goes to the brain travels through the spine. Thats why it seemed the spine would be the ideal place for the control device. Am I somewhat correct in thinking this?Spider Man 2...............

We'll, from a person who has no knowledge of this and has seen spider man 2, yes, you are correct. The spine would be the ideal place for the control device.