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October 28, 2010 4:15 AM Subscribe
'Marilyn Monroe' neuron aids mind control. "Volunteers fade famous images in and out using a brain-machine' interface. People have used mind control to change images on a video screen, a study reports. The volunteers, whose brains were wired up to a computer, enhanced one of two competing images of famous people or objects by changing firing rates in individual brain cells."
Wow, Nature is making mini-docos on some of their accepted submissions now? That's pretty impressive. Interesting stuff, thanks for the post.
Original article here for those with access.
posted by kisch mokusch at 5:44 AM on October 28, 2010
Original article here for those with access.
posted by kisch mokusch at 5:44 AM on October 28, 2010
One day, shouting "enhance that image!" at a screen will actually work.
posted by danb at 6:00 AM on October 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by danb at 6:00 AM on October 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
Just reading the abstract on the research article, this phenomenon involves clusters of neurons--though they do claim a single neuron was measured. I don't see a claim that this single neuron codes for e.g. Marilyn Monroe.
See also,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandmother_cell
I hate to say it, but wired has a better take here
The researchers weren’t particularly interested in specific neurons, or even specific brain regions: Each wired neuron was representative of five million more, spread across the brain. Instead, he was looking for patterns of focus.
The idea that a single neuron codes for anything is ridiculous. It's a neural network people!
posted by kuatto at 6:47 AM on October 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
See also,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandmother_cell
I hate to say it, but wired has a better take here
The researchers weren’t particularly interested in specific neurons, or even specific brain regions: Each wired neuron was representative of five million more, spread across the brain. Instead, he was looking for patterns of focus.
The idea that a single neuron codes for anything is ridiculous. It's a neural network people!
posted by kuatto at 6:47 AM on October 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
This is not mind control. This is called "thinking".
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 6:47 AM on October 28, 2010
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 6:47 AM on October 28, 2010
People have used mind control to change images on a video screen...
Usually it's the video screen that does the mind control on the people.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:52 AM on October 28, 2010
Usually it's the video screen that does the mind control on the people.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:52 AM on October 28, 2010
The idea that a single neuron codes for anything is ridiculous. It's a neural network people!
I'm no neuroscientist, but given the ratio between my dog's general intelligence and her response to the word "walk", I have to wonder if this is always true.
posted by condour75 at 7:54 AM on October 28, 2010
I'm no neuroscientist, but given the ratio between my dog's general intelligence and her response to the word "walk", I have to wonder if this is always true.
posted by condour75 at 7:54 AM on October 28, 2010
Dear Metafilter front-page posters: in the future, if you make a post around a popular science article, please include a link to the primary source. Thanks in advance <3
posted by IjonTichy at 8:28 AM on October 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by IjonTichy at 8:28 AM on October 28, 2010 [1 favorite]
I didn't realize Professor Snape is now at Caltech.
posted by vortex genie 2 at 5:11 PM on October 28, 2010
posted by vortex genie 2 at 5:11 PM on October 28, 2010
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