Practical Transhumanism
Focused on what we can do to enhance ourselves and our world now, with today's technology. Things out recently, just around the corner, or used in a novel way most people haven't seen.
Researchers learned that the extra digit wasn't dead weight, but fully-integrated into the subject's body, including dedicated areas in the brain for motor control. Polydactyl subjects were even able to perform tasks that would normally require both hands to accomplish.
Six fingers per hand: Polydactyly equals extra motor ability - Neuroscience News
Polydactyly, a condition where one is born with an extra finger, has significant benefits when it comes to motor skill and control. fMRI neuroimaging reveals those with extra fingers are able to move the digits independently of other fingers. The findings could help with the development of new prost...
neurosciencenews.com
It's important to remember that the tools are not the end but the means, that there needs to be more benefit than "because we can" to the technology we choose to integrate with. More is not automatically equal to better. Our bodies ARE hackable, but they are complex systems, not isolated components. We need to develop a thorough understanding of all the implications of the changes we propose before we wholeheartedly embrace them. Is it a short-lived novelty or a truly worthwhile upgrade? Is the utility worth the price? There's always a price.
Transhumanism Is Tempting—Until You Remember Inspector Gadget
Tech gurus are obsessed with treating bodies like machines—something a 30-year-old cartoon about a tricked-out detective suggests won’t work.
wired.com
The technology could have interesting applications once it matures, but 16 pixels will be of limited value in this prototype. Still, the ability to send and receive signals between brains with noninvasive methods has substantial potential.
However, as someone who's lived with a magnet implant for 7 years, I personally question the wisdom of making neurons sensitive to magnetic fields. I get surprised by unexpected EM sources all the time, but a bit of buzzing or tugging in my finger is not nearly as bad as sudden visual hallucinations or light flares. Removing the magnet from my finger if it became a problem some day is much easier than removing iron nanoparticles from neurons.
However, as someone who's lived with a magnet implant for 7 years, I personally question the wisdom of making neurons sensitive to magnetic fields. I get surprised by unexpected EM sources all the time, but a bit of buzzing or tugging in my finger is not nearly as bad as sudden visual hallucinations or light flares. Removing the magnet from my finger if it became a problem some day is much easier than removing iron nanoparticles from neurons.
Developing a headset to transfer visual perceptions from the sighted to the blind - Neuroscience News
Researchers are developing a new brain-to-brain communication headset that will allow the transfer of visual information from those with sight to the blind. The non-invasive system will 'write' information to neurons reprogrammed to fire in response to magnetic signals.
neurosciencenews.com
Neuroscience News and Research
Researchers trained a neural network to map audio “voiceprints” from one language to another.
This is SO awesome! Dan using his bionic hand to draw Tilly 😍
Open Bionics
This is SO awesome! Dan using his bionic hand to draw Tilly 😍
Neuroscience News and Research
A major clinical breakthrough!