This Message by - bwilson@eur.dimss.gtegsc.com (Bill Wilson)
Is this a hoax?
Even if it is not, I wonder about the practical problems of "reading" the brain. Okay, maybe we can sense the state of the neurons and write these states into a memory chip. But how do you interpret what you record?
I doubt everyone stores information in the same way. Don't have any hard evidence, of course, but it seems to me this sort of download might be like looking at a binary dump of computer memory. Without a legend to tell one how to interpret the data, it is meaningless.
I deeply mistrust this sort of research; too many nasty things could be done with this kind of technology. Not just reading brains, see, think about what can be done if brains are *written to*.
Cheers,
Bill
This Message by - AvantPop@aol.com
Well, Bill, keep in mind that many people laughed at H.G. Wells when he wrote his novel about the first men on the moon. People laughed at Heinlein. People laighed at Clarke when he created Hal 2000. Hell, my Macintosh kicks ass over Hal 2000. People laughed at (and imprisoned) Galileo when he said the world was not flat and being held up by a cosmic turtle.
This Message by - Jasmine Sailing (jsailing@netonecom.net)
* This Message by - bwilson@eur.dimss.gtegsc.com (Bill Wilson)
* Actually, A.P., I'm not laughing. If this sort of technology has a shot
* at becoming real, I can imagine lots of organizations wanting to use it
* for all the wrong reasons. Just imagine:
* #Being programmed to eat nothing but fruit-loops every morning
* #Being modified to feel no fear, be very aggressive, and highly
* patriotic/nationalist
McDonald's would be the first to grab these two. Program people to eat nothing but McDonald's burgers and fries. Likewise program them to parade around, carrying the Golden Arches like a cross, doing battle with the enemies of Ronald McDonald. Bombing every other fast food joint and restaurant around. Kidnapping babies to convert them into yet more of Ronald's lustful minions. Chances are we would all have to dress in yellow suits with red and white striped sleeves as well.
* #Having your sum total of experiences/memories stolen by hackers
* and sold on the black market to people hungry for sensory stimulation
Not to accidentally mention this topic again, but that would be similar to the Bab5 episode "Dust to Dust" which was about the telekinetic mind rape drug dust. Living the memories of others. At least this way you wouldn't have the bad trip and after effects though. You would probably still become just as hooked. Live an exciting life from the safety of your own home. Well, yet better of a safe life than you can lead on the net. =)
Jasmine Sailing Cyber-Psychos AOD jsailing@netonecom.net
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Jasmine Sailing: editor/publisher (pusher of obscenities), writer and
musician (lost in the schizoid realms), The Blasted One (worshipper of
Jellyfish), sysadmin (masochist), single parent (irresponsible slut),
twonk (censor), bisexual (waffler), crashing off happy pills (bummed).