One thought on “Unlocking The Brain”

1. I think my first words would have been: “Kill me, please!”

   However, when I was at DARPA, I chatted with one of their biotech program managers about his work. It was mind blowing. First, DARPA has already demonstrated the ability to place electrodes into the part of the brain that controls motor function, and also the part that receives sensory perception. They have closed that loop on at least on paraplegic man, who was able to not only use a robotic arm as if it was his own, but feel textures via sensors in the robotic fingers of those arms.

   But that isn’t where they are stopping. The electrode read/write method is crude, limited, and requires a lot of training. Here’s what they are working on to replace it.

   First, they have demonstrated genetic engineering of brain cells to make the brain transparent. This has been done on complete brains of living mice. Second, they have genetically engineered synapses to emit light when they fire, and fire when illuminated.

   Having done these things, they can down develop “brain modems.” Two, precisely. One to read the synapses firing in the motor control center, and one two send sensory responses via an array of LEDs to the sensory part of the brain. The modems are expected to be about the size and thickness of a quarter, and fit in trepanned cutouts in the skull. The guy who leads this effort is a Silicon Valley technologist.

   This could give a full life back to so many people. I so hope it succeeds.

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