DDD
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Neuroscientists have managed to link existing neural connection with a particular light. Thus when the light is on those neural connections are activated and cause one to function for what the neural connections stood for. See a mouse circling when under blue light the neural connections for walking in circles became activated at 0.10 minute:
Method of the Year 2010: Optogenetics - by Nature Video - YouTube
But now the neuroscientists managed to link a new independent variable into the mixture. The neuroscientists managed to link neural connections of fear with neural connections of representing a cage, all under the control of a white light (Ramirez et al, 2013).
They activated the neural connections that represented the cage and shocked the mouse at the same time. Later the mouse was afraid of the cage. By doing so the neuroscientists claim that they have generated a false fear memory of the cage.
This method is not limited to creating fake memories related to fear and an object neither. They are experimenting with other emotions such as:
This is still at the beginning phase now. But perhaps they can develop these "Method of the Year" to control human brains also.
What do you guys think? Would we be slaves of Optogenetics one day and would fear and love whatever the government wants us to?
References:
S. Ramirez., X. Liu., P.-A. Lin., J. Suh., M. Pignatelli., ... ... S. Tonegawa. (2013). Creating a false memory in the hippocampus. Science, 341 (6144): 387 DOI: 10.1126/science.1239073.
Stimulating brain cells can make false memories
Method of the Year 2010: Optogenetics - by Nature Video - YouTube
But now the neuroscientists managed to link a new independent variable into the mixture. The neuroscientists managed to link neural connections of fear with neural connections of representing a cage, all under the control of a white light (Ramirez et al, 2013).
They activated the neural connections that represented the cage and shocked the mouse at the same time. Later the mouse was afraid of the cage. By doing so the neuroscientists claim that they have generated a false fear memory of the cage.
This method is not limited to creating fake memories related to fear and an object neither. They are experimenting with other emotions such as:
pleasure memories or memories of objects or memories of other mice.
This is still at the beginning phase now. But perhaps they can develop these "Method of the Year" to control human brains also.
What do you guys think? Would we be slaves of Optogenetics one day and would fear and love whatever the government wants us to?
References:
S. Ramirez., X. Liu., P.-A. Lin., J. Suh., M. Pignatelli., ... ... S. Tonegawa. (2013). Creating a false memory in the hippocampus. Science, 341 (6144): 387 DOI: 10.1126/science.1239073.
Stimulating brain cells can make false memories