[HN Gopher] Researchers control brain circuits from a distance u...
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       Researchers control brain circuits from a distance using infrared
       light
        
       Author : Amorymeltzer
       Score  : 30 points
       Date   : 2022-04-15 15:51 UTC (7 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (neuroscience.stanford.edu)
 (TXT) w3m dump (neuroscience.stanford.edu)
        
       | sudden_dystopia wrote:
       | Fixed this paragraph for you:
       | 
       | The tool has the potential to solve one of the biggest unmet
       | needs in authoritarianism: a way to easily control the functions
       | of particular brain cells and circuits deep in the brain during
       | normal behavior -- such as citizens freely socializing with one
       | another.
        
         | jerf wrote:
         | This technique requires genetically modifying the neurons to
         | make them sensitive to the beam. Given the way neurons work, it
         | isn't something that would work very well if you tried to apply
         | it as a gene therapy, either.
         | 
         | While I fully expect such a thing would be abused by
         | governments, this is not that thing.
         | 
         | I also suspect in general this would not prove useful even so.
         | In a lab, where the EM environment can be controlled, it may
         | work great. But there's not much utility to a government to a
         | brain switch that is flipped by going outside in strong
         | sunlight.
        
           | pyinstallwoes wrote:
           | A not switch leads to universal logic gate needs. All they
           | need is to rely on a flip state to program any state. That's
           | identical to a current in your example (outside). Which would
           | mean by programming the state inside, they can predictably
           | set the state outside. Bourne engage.
        
         | pyinstallwoes wrote:
         | They already accomplish that with devices with screens, and
         | your regularly scheduled content governing thought-space at the
         | border of language where the imaginary fence of Sapir-Worf is
         | erected acting as shepherd to possible thoughts and impossible
         | Thoughts.
        
         | [deleted]
        
       | EamonnMR wrote:
       | This is the kind of paper I'd expect a cartoon supervillain to
       | publish, right before he unveils his mind control ray.
       | 
       | I suppose a tinfoil hat would protect you from an IR beam
       | though...
        
       | godelski wrote:
       | > The newly published technique builds on the foundation laid
       | down by optogenetics, a technique first developed at Stanford by
       | Wu Tsai Neuro affiliate Karl Deisseroth and collaborators that
       | introduces light-sensitive algal proteins into neurons to let
       | researchers turn them on or off in response to different colors
       | of light.
       | 
       | To clarify, they have to introduce a new chemical into the brain
       | for this to work. The researchers of this paper introduced a heat
       | sensitive chemical and that allows them to use IR light.
        
       | dqpb wrote:
       | Finally, a reliable way to control large populations of
       | disagreeable people!
        
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       (page generated 2022-04-15 23:01 UTC)