A photo from open sources
Just imagine: airport security agents with enhanced sense of smell, lifeguards who are able to hear the most weak debris and dirt sounds, truck drivers who always know exactly which side the north is. It may sound like a story from a comic book, but scientists from the University Duke is currently experimenting with a brain implant, which can make such things a reality – and for that you don’t have to become a mutant.
Five of our senses are very limited, but the possibilities of our brain should be allowed to use them more fully. And for this purpose Duke University researchers want to explore opportunities using implants to tune and strengthen these feelings. The implants have already been successfully tested on mice and given them the ability to see infrared light, which under normal conditions invisible to the naked eye.
The experiment began with mice trained to recognize light. LEDs. Then they attached infrared cameras to their heads, connected to the area of the brain responsible for processing the sensory information. After that, they were exposed to infrared Sveta. The camera in this case stimulated the brain – the stronger, the the mouse was closer to the light source or looked in its direction. Then the mice were placed in their usual environment, and LED radiation replaced by infrared. And although it required almost months of training, the mice learned how to respond to infrared light.
Mice also responded to additional stimulation, resulting in researchers conclude that the brain with the help of an implant is capable of process a lot of different sensory data at any time. This technology can be used to create advanced dentures giving their wearers better control over parts of their body. It can also allow ordinary people to find superhuman sensory capabilities by turning stories like “X-Men” is actually into everyday reality.
Time
