Carbon Nanotubes Will Rewire Your Brain, Make You Smarter

A group of researchers in France and Italy have published a paper today in Nature Nanotechnology that carbon nanotubes can act as neural workarounds in the brain, forming tight contacts with the already-existing nerve cells and conducting electricity between them exactly the way neurons do with each other.

io9.com...

Interesting, but a little on the scary side, what do you all think?

No thanks. Perhaps it can be used for other purposes like restoring functions, giving mobility and such, but to just be smarter, nope, I would prefer to be smarter the old fashioned way...learn about something.

Dont want no chips, dont want no wires, dont want no nanotubes and certianly dont want to become a Borg.

Cheers!!!!

reply to post by RFBurns

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Amen to that brother!

Reminds me of the unabomber manifesto where he said that what he was fighting against was the genetic and biological takeover of our bodies, and that one day soon, we will no longer have a choice in the matter...

Free Ted Kazinsky!!

Wait, isn't he dead?

I can see the value of this for medical reasons...maybe as a treatment for Alzheimer's? Might be good stuff...not everything is a conspiracy.




But maybe it is....na na na na na na na na

I agree that while interesting, the idea of being part machine is a bit off-the-wall to me. Then again, it could be helpful to some. I have no idea where I stand on an issue like that, until the choice is presented to me. Simply be human, or allow technology to make you more than?

This is wonderful! Every new technology that allows us to improve our easily destroyed biological body is great. I want to die when I say so, not because i'm an animal that has a slowly rotting body.

reply to post by plainview

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I agree with you on this very much so.

Im not sure exactly where i would stand on that unless it was presented before me to answer.

And that answer could go eather way, depending on the situation, need, necessity etc...

Where do we sign up for the medical tests?Im keen.You suckers can keep you old brains i want to upgrade to version 2.0

reply to post by Azador

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haha! I think that is what makes me nervous about it. The people with already healthy brains, who can afford this, would become Human 2.0's, while the rest of us will putter around yelling "Get off my lawn!!"

Actually, I already do putter around and yell at the neighborhood kids, so nothing would change. Carry on!

[edit on 24-12-2008 by plainview]

A very good point to point out.

How many would be "first in line"?

Another excellent point btw

Becoming a machine is the most expediant route to get off this rock we call earth. The ones who embrace it first will leave the rest in the dust of time. I want to be the first true man-machine. A machine has no real size constraints either, one could become world size if you had the resources to do it. You could then populate your surface with avatars of yourself. Similar to V-GER in the star trek movie. There is an entire universe to explore, who cares about being a human that much.

The line starts behind me.Than afterwards we can all go hangout on plainviews lawn.But seriously all those that are upset about this heres a question.If they discovered a miracle plant that was proven to enhance your brain function in the same capacity as the nanotubes would you still be morally outraged?No didnt think so.
Anyway go eat some fish people, get them omega3's

Edit to spell a name properly(really do need an upgrade)

[edit on 24-12-2008 by Azador]

I am morally outraged that you would stand on my lawn!

If they found a plant that did the same thing, I'd like that better, only because it wouldn't be something that was implanted into my brain. I think if I knew more about these nanodiddlies and actually saw them in action, I might open up to the idea. Until then, get off my lawn!

well, I am not sure how this thing would work inside the brain, however when the technology is mastered it will not be more strange than teeth implant . This would not make you less human in any way as the personality will still depend on what you learn not on how quick you learn.
I expect that at a point we will be able to even replace dead neurons with artifficial ones - i would do that as an alternative to get dementia. What would you do ?

reply to post by Azador

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Excellent point.

Dont think of it as machines, but as a natural enhancement that one could easily find in grandmas back yard... what if aloe vera did the same thing? would you take it?

Interesting way of looking at it....

[edit on 24-12-2008 by Grock]

I am sooooo happy that we pointed this out before hand.

You, will, see, this, again.. (as my sgt used to say at the academy).

As long as people know that this is coming, thats all i care about....

According to Henry Markram, a lead scientist on the project at Laboratory of Neural Microcircuitry in Switzerland:


The new carbon nanotube-based interface technology discovered together with state of the art simulations of brain-machine interfaces is the key to developing all types of neuroprosthetics — sight, sound, smell, motion, vetoing epileptic attacks, spinal bypasses, as well as repairing and even enhancing cognitive functions.
If we use technologies like this to cure Alzheimer's patients, we may wind up with a generation of hyper-intelligent seniors ready to invent the next brain-boosting technology.