General Discussion

FarCenter

(19,429 posts) Thu Feb 28, 2013, 05:01 PM Feb 2013

Scientists link two rats' brains, a continent apart

Creating a "superbrain" of connected minds, scientists on Thursday said they had enabled a rat to help a fellow rodent while the animals were a continent apart but connected through brain electrodes.

With electrodes imbedded in its cortex, a rat in a research institute in Natal, Brazil sent signals via the Internet to a counterpart at a university lab in Durham, North Carolina, helping the second animal to get a reward.

The exploit opens up the prospect of linking brains among animals to create an "organic computer," said Brazilian neurobiologist Miguel Nicolelis.

http://www.france24.com/en/20130228-scientists-link-two-rats-brains-continent-apart-0

I, for one, welcome our new Rat Borg overlord.

24 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Scientists link two rats' brains, a continent apart (Original Post) FarCenter Feb 2013 OP

let me guess, lanny davis and bob woodward's? Whisp Feb 2013 #1

This won't end well -- Nuclear Unicorn Feb 2013 #2

resistance is futile Motown_Johnny Feb 2013 #14

I've seen this movie before. sadbear Feb 2013 #3

"Into the mud, scum queen!!" Bucky Feb 2013 #15

Oh man... "I have no mouth and I must- CHEESE!" nt Poll_Blind Feb 2013 #4

This is fascinating research siligut Feb 2013 #5

Or Ghost in the Shell. kentauros Feb 2013 #6

Geeks nadinbrzezinski Feb 2013 #7

The funny thing is, I've never read Neuromancer kentauros Feb 2013 #9

Get it, good book, allegedly typed nadinbrzezinski Feb 2013 #10

Okay, I will :) kentauros Feb 2013 #12

Actually, it's like real animal/insect behavior. KittyWampus Feb 2013 #18

That still goes to robots and cybernetics :) kentauros Feb 2013 #19

Well, thank you for this siligut Feb 2013 #22

You're welcome :) kentauros Mar 2013 #23

Paranoid Theory #896: LiberalEsto Feb 2013 #8

Best laid plans of mice and men. RedCappedBandit Feb 2013 #13

The Vulcan Mind-Meld? n/t cherokeeprogressive Feb 2013 #11

We are already linked. 2 groups of termites build linked tunnels even when completely separated KittyWampus Feb 2013 #16

Here's the transcripts of the rats' thoughts Bucky Feb 2013 #17

They already did that with Bush and Blair dipsydoodle Feb 2013 #20

But rats are higher on the evolutionary scale LiberalEsto Feb 2013 #21

The singularity begins. Muahahaha Dash87 Mar 2013 #24

Whisp

(24,096 posts)

1. let me guess, lanny davis and bob woodward's?

Reply to FarCenter (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 05:02 PM

Feb 2013

which one made the trip away?

Nuclear Unicorn

(19,497 posts)

2. This won't end well --

Reply to FarCenter (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 05:04 PM

Feb 2013

Motown_Johnny

(22,308 posts)

14. resistance is futile

Reply to Nuclear Unicorn (Reply #2)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 06:54 PM

Feb 2013

sadbear

(4,340 posts)

3. I've seen this movie before.

Reply to FarCenter (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 05:06 PM

Feb 2013

Bucky

(54,027 posts)

15. "Into the mud, scum queen!!"

Reply to sadbear (Reply #3)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 06:56 PM

Feb 2013

Poll_Blind

(23,864 posts)

4. Oh man... "I have no mouth and I must- CHEESE!" nt

Reply to FarCenter (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 05:10 PM

Feb 2013

siligut

(12,272 posts)

5. This is fascinating research

Reply to FarCenter (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 05:17 PM

Feb 2013

The implications are like the stuff from The Matrix.

kentauros

(29,414 posts)

6. Or Ghost in the Shell.

Reply to siligut (Reply #5)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 05:23 PM

Feb 2013

Probably not as well known or as popular, but a far better science fiction story

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_in_the_shell

nadinbrzezinski

(154,021 posts)

7. Geeks

Reply to kentauros (Reply #6)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 05:25 PM

Feb 2013

kentauros

(29,414 posts)

9. The funny thing is, I've never read Neuromancer

Reply to nadinbrzezinski (Reply #7)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 06:11 PM

Feb 2013

and that's at the very heart of this kind of research. Maybe I should get it for my Kindle...

Yeah, I guess I am a geek. I was also a Band Nerd/Geek/Nut

nadinbrzezinski

(154,021 posts)

10. Get it, good book, allegedly typed

Reply to kentauros (Reply #9)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 06:13 PM

Feb 2013

On a manual type writer.

kentauros

(29,414 posts)

12. Okay, I will :)

Reply to nadinbrzezinski (Reply #10)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 06:18 PM

Feb 2013

Hmm, maybe I need a steampunk computer keyboard modeled after an ancient typewriter...

KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)

18. Actually, it's like real animal/insect behavior.

Reply to kentauros (Reply #6)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 07:02 PM

Feb 2013

kentauros

(29,414 posts)

19. That still goes to robots and cybernetics :)

Reply to KittyWampus (Reply #18)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 07:04 PM

Feb 2013

I suppose the other parallel in science fiction would be the Cybermen

siligut

(12,272 posts)

22. Well, thank you for this

Reply to kentauros (Reply #6)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 10:31 PM

Feb 2013

I hadn't seen Ghost in the Shell, so I stopped by the video store on my way home and just finished watching it. Wow, excellent and I agree, far better

kentauros

(29,414 posts)

23. You're welcome :)

Reply to siligut (Reply #22)

Fri Mar 1, 2013, 12:18 AM

Mar 2013

I just started watching the second animated series they produced, "Stand Alone Complex: 2nd Gig". I had originally watched it on Adult Swim, but I need the video copies to re-watch. The political intrigue is ramped up in this series and can be difficult to follow (at least for me.)

I liked The Matrix, though I was disappointed with their idea of humans being used for a power source. Obviously, the machines weren't very smart at all, or they would have used us as the best data processors possible as well as tricking us into being creative for them. At least, that's how I would have written it, and then had the humans getting out of it differently, too. However, it wouldn't have ended up as an action movie, either

LiberalEsto

(22,845 posts)

8. Paranoid Theory #896:

Reply to FarCenter (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 05:53 PM

Feb 2013

Little did those scientists realize that when they linked the brain of one rat to the other, THEY WERE FOLLOWING THE MENTAL COMMANDS OF THE RATS!

RedCappedBandit

(5,514 posts)

13. Best laid plans of mice and men.

Reply to LiberalEsto (Reply #8)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 06:54 PM

Feb 2013

Oh. No, I don't think men had much to do with it.

cherokeeprogressive

(24,853 posts)

11. The Vulcan Mind-Meld? n/t

Reply to FarCenter (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 06:18 PM

Feb 2013

KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)

16. We are already linked. 2 groups of termites build linked tunnels even when completely separated

Reply to FarCenter (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 06:59 PM

Feb 2013

from their original one group.

Divide one group of termites into two and put them into adjacent habitats w/ no ability to communicate… the tunnels still link up as if they were one.

Bucky

(54,027 posts)

17. Here's the transcripts of the rats' thoughts

Reply to FarCenter (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 07:00 PM

Feb 2013

"Cheese. Cheese. Omygod, I could totally go for some cheese right about now. Hey, what's that thing over there? I wonder if it's cheese. Oh shit, I can't walk over to it cause I've got these wires in my head. I wish it was cheese though. I fucken LOVE cheese. Hey Seth McFarlane was pretty funny hosting the Oscars, really witty stuff. He should be rewarded with cheese. I wish I was being rewarded with cheese. Hmmm, or maybe I could go for some cheese right about now. Goddamn, I love cheese. Hey, is that cheese I see over there? I could sure go for some."