Lifeboat Foundation

Consciousness isn’t something scientists like to talk about much. You can’t see it, you can’t touch it, and despite the best efforts of certain researchers, you can’t quantify it. And in science, if you can’t measure something, you’re going to have a tough time explaining it.

But consciousness exists, and it’s one of the most fundamental aspects of what makes us human. And just like dark matter and dark energy have been used to fill some otherwise gaping holes in the standard model of physics, researchers have also proposed that it’s possible to consider consciousness as a new state of matter.

Continue reading “This physicist says consciousness could be a new state of matter” »

As you relax and let your mind drift aimlessly, you might remember a pleasant vacation, an angry confrontation in traffic or maybe the loss of a loved one.

And now a team of researchers at Duke University say they can see those various emotional states flickering across the human brain.

“It’s getting to be a bit like mind-reading,” said Kevin LaBar, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke. “Earlier studies have shown that functional MRI can identify whether a person is thinking about a face or a house. Our study is the first to show that specific emotions like fear and anger can be decoded from these scans as well.”

Continue reading “MRI scanner sees emotions flickering across an idle mind” »

New Stanford tech enables typing directly from brain signals.

How many monkeys does it take to type a passage of Shakespeare? One monkey, equipped with brain-sensing technology.

Continue reading “Brain-sensing tech helps people with movement disorders communicate via text” »

Nice.

Researchers have developed a new technology that can help read brain signals directly and may also aid people with movement disabilities to better communicate their thoughts and emotions. The technology involves a multi-electrode array implanted in the brain to directly read signals from a region that ordinarily directs hand and arm movements used, for example, to move a computer mouse.

The algorithms translate those signals and help to make letter selections.

Continue reading “New technology may help read brain signals directly” »

This is not that far fetch especially when we have seen DARPA’s efforts around BMI, the nanobot technology being experimented on to enable BMI, stent technology as well that is being looked at for BMI, etc. which all leads us into the concept of superhumans.

“Humans are so slow” says Elon Musk, so let’s become AI-human symbiotes instead.

Very true points that many have been raising with CRISPR, Synthetic Biology, BMI, and humanoid technology. I am glad to see this article on ethics and standards because it really needs to be discussed and implemented.

New brain technologies will increasingly have the potential to alter how someone thinks, feels, behaves and even perceives themselves.

By Nicholas West

Continue reading “Is it already too late to consider the ethics of mind control technology?” »

Sharing for all my Neuro science friends and techie friends — Sept 29th is the Inaugural Cornell Neurotech Mong Family Foundation Symposium. Some of Cornell’s top award winning neuro scientists will be presenting.

Interested in learning how the brain works?

Some of Cornell’s best scientists studying the brain will gather Sept. 29 for the Inaugural Cornell Neurotech Mong Family Foundation Symposium. The symposium features three alumni winners of the 2015 Brain Prize – Winfried Denk, Ph.D. ’89, Karel Svoboda ’88 and David Tank, M.S. ’80, Ph.D. ’83 – as well as award-winning Cornell faculty who will share how they are exploring the brain using the most modern, innovative technologies.

Talks begin at 10 a.m. in Room G10 Biotechnology and conclude at 5 p.m. with a public reception. The symposium is free and the public is invited.

Continue reading “Neurotech symposium features Brain Prize winners” »

Hmmm.

For the first time, Israeli researchers have developed a system that lets a human use brain waves to control nanobots in a cockroach. How could that help your health?

So, here is the real question we in the US should start raising is how does all of this look for the US to its allies, frienemies, etc. with US filling the headlines with statements like this one. No wonders allies and others are expanding their partnerships with Russia.

WASHINGTON (AP) — CIA Director John Brennan warned on Sunday that Russia has “exceptionally capable and sophisticated” computer capabilities and that the U.S. must be on guard.

When asked in a television interview whether Russia is trying to manipulate the American presidential election, Brennan didn’t say. But he noted that the FBI is investigating the hacking of Democratic National Committee emails, and he cited Moscow’s aggressive intelligence collection and its focus on high-tech snooping.

Continue reading “CIA Director John Brennan warns of Russian hacking” »