At lunch today my boss was talking about a discussion he heard on NPR where they were talking about a woman playing a videogame through an implanted neurochip. I tried to search for a recording of the program but was unsuccessfull. He did say that the research was done through DARPA. So I went searching for similar research and found that there are indeed researchers working on the brain-machine interface and that if what my boss heard is true, it ain't that long before some really scary sci-fi stuff becomes reality.

Take this research project from the University of Michigan, for example, they've figured out a way for a neural implant to send signals to control assisted living machines, and this was back in 2000.

Next, I have this article from CNN in 2001. The researchers have successfully planted a chip in monkeys brains that can control a robotic arm, 965 Km away! The article goes on to say that the next step in the research is to create a feedback loop from sensors on the arm so that the monkeys can actually feel the texture of say an apple that they've caused the robotic arm to pick up.

I also came across this site willing to send you something that apparently reads the bioelectric patterns from your mind with a finger sensor. They have several games on offer including a flight simulator, a drawing program and something called FIB that appears to be some sort of lie detector program. Of course it could be a scam, but I believe everything I read on the internet.

Here's a guy with a chip in his brain that can control his computer and his TV. He can literally think emails to people.

Here's an article about a bionic eye for the blind, basically you have a camera that sends the visual info to a small processor that then does it's little magic and sends info on to a tiny implant behind your retina and then on directly to your brain. Enabling the blind to see.

Why is this scary? Think of what would happen if we could hook up one of these neural chips to the internet and get feed back through sensory inputs like the bionic eye. We could not only surf the net in our heads but also control robots remotely. Computer aided ESP. Eventually we wouldn't need the sensory inputs and just get information directly inputed into our brains a la Matrix ("I know Fung Fu!") I realize that's a huge leap but it does seem to be getting closer.

Now, think of the possiblities for terrorism. This is where it gets really scary. Viruses downloaded directly into our brains. Maybe not even that far. Can you imagine the the effect that propaganda could have when it's automatically piped into your head? Suddenly, a certain Star Trek enemy doesn't seem all that far fetched.

Resistance is futile! You will be assimilated.