Monkey brains linked together in "brainet"

a reply to: Klassified

Good observation. The mark of the beast is the counterfeit of God's mark, just like Christ vs Antichrist.

Sword art and ghost in the shell, ty.

Did any of you (even the OP) actually bother to read the article?

These monkeys were connected only to a computer, not one another

And why is everyone assuming that human brains are next?

And even if they are, what does it matter? Are some of you so paranoid that you think the Powers That Be are going to forcibly drill into your skull and connect your neurons to somebody else's? Anybody who thinks that has read or watched too much sci-fi. Sometimes ATS members seem to believe reality is like a comic book.

These monkeys were connected only to a computer, not one another, but in a second set of experiments, the team connected the brains of four rats to a computer and to each other. Each rat had two sets of electrodes implanted in regions of the brain involved in movement control – one to stimulate the brain and another to record its activity.

Rats should not be mis-treated in this way either. People may identify more with monkeys but this sort of experiment is a wicked thing to do to any living creature.

originally posted by: Astyanax
Did any of you (even the OP) actually bother to read the article?

These monkeys were connected only to a computer, not one another

And why is everyone assuming that human brains are next?

And even if they are, what does it matter? Are some of you so paranoid that you think the Powers That Be are going to forcibly drill into your skull and connect your neurons to somebody else's? Anybody who thinks that has read or watched too much sci-fi. Sometimes ATS members seem to believe reality is like a comic book.

Yes sir, I did read the article, and as I stated in the original post, I am unable to explain it better than the article. I fully understand that the various brains were "connected" through their attachment to a computer. Those individual brain were then tasked with coordinating their movement together...an amazing thing as far as I'm concerned, and well worth discussion.

I appreciate your aggressive response. I wonder if this kind of brain connection, if used on humans, would dampen unnecessary and/or unproductive post responses?

Please find the nearest electrodes, jam them in your monkey skull and let me know.

Additionally, the point of these types of experiments using monkeys is to judge the viability for, and to eventually use humans. They didn't send chimps into space because they were the best qualified.

No I don't believe that someone is going to walk in my home tomorrow and forcibly hook my brain up to a simian contraption, any more that an early computer user would have anticipated a world wide connection of computers that would make a stand alone device uber useless within 25 years.

This could go so many ways, it doesn't matter which factor you throw in (remote controller substitute for anything electronic, you could even say that it has the potential to evolve into something like Avatar) . IT WILL BE AMAZING. I would be up for it, as long as there is some type of safety net. Makes me wonder if they can see into the others mind, how would this thing work in a courthouse?

a reply to: Midnight4444

Additionally, the point of these types of experiments using monkeys is to judge the viability for, and to eventually use humans. They didn't send chimps into space because they were the best qualified.

So you really do believe that the Powers That Be are going to drill into your skull, etc. Can't help you there.

Perhaps I am too drunk but still here's some interesting links:

skepdic.com...
jweigant.wordpress.com...
www.infinitebeing.com...

I can't remember where they said the monkeys copied from others on other islands without any contact. I am sure somebody knows what I am talking about.

a reply to: Astyanax

Except you completely ignored my next paragraph to cherry pick so you could provide a snarky response.

Lame.

a reply to: Midnight4444

You may not be afraid that they'll break into your house and wire you up by force, but you're afraid it will happen anyway, either because of circumstances that leave you no choice or because you actively want to. Same difference.

The NewScientist article says that by “synchronising their thoughts” the monkeys were able to achieve a certain task. This statement confuses me. Since each of the monkey’s brains were connected to a computer, and not to each other, what exactly is meant by “synchronising their thoughts”? This seems a little misleading to me. Maybe a better way to put it would be to say, “by collaborating”. Each monkey is simply responding to what it views on it’s monitor, which reflects/includes the inputs generated simultaneously by the other 2 monkeys. The monkeys are not reading each other’s minds, and are not even aware of the other 2. Except for using brain waves (thoughts) as input instead of a keyboard/joystick, this is no different than an online multiplayer game. So, from what I understand, this is of little significance, and is certainly not a breakthrough. It’s just indicates that we’re getting better at analyzing/interpreting brain waves.

I must be missing something here. The article went on to describe how the monkeys were still able to accomplish the goal when each one was restricted to movement within a single dimension. Here again, so what? They were still simply responding, albeit in a more restricted way, to what they saw on their monitor. They weren’t reading each other’s minds. The computer algorithm did all the work; it interpreted their brainwaves and moved the arm toward the target based on that. And this dude Nicolelis referred to this feat as “creating a superbrain”? What?! Gimme a break.

I’m sorry, but I can’t understand the excitement over this. There was nothing new about any of this. For years we’ve shown that people can remotely control devices/computers by pure thought. Nothing new here. The article didn’t mention any specifics about the level of increased performance when more than 1 animal works a given task. Would a single monkey achieve as good or better results working on the same task as the 3 monkeys did? From the article, I don’t know that. As a matter of fact, the more I read the article, the more pissed I get.

Now, I’m not saying that we won’t someday be capable of achieving a hive mind, collective consciousness, etc. I’m personally convinced we will, for better or worse. All I’m saying is this particular article didn’t indicate to me that any progress was made toward that end. I failed to see anything new or special about this study. So, either a) the article didn’t accurately, or completely, reflect the scope of the study, b) the study itself had no substance, or c) I’m an idiot and just don’t get it. To be honest, I hope it’s option c), since I’m all for progress.

Cheerio!

I have just stolen all the technology to do with this and have already started building up my Monkey army..soon the world will be mine Mahahahaha Mahahahahahahahahahaha.

I see where this is going...

a reply to: netbound

This statement confuses me. Since each of the monkey’s brains were connected to a computer, and not to each other, what exactly is meant by “synchronising their thoughts”? This seems a little misleading to me.

It means they had to learn how to synchronize their conscious brain activity. Like learning to play a game.

a reply to: Astyanax

“It means they had to learn how to synchronize their conscious brain activity. Like learning to play a game”

I guess I’m not hitting on all cylinders, Astyanax. By “synchronizing” their brain activity you said it’s, “Like learning to play a game”. Coincidently, that’s the same analogy I used in my post. I said, “Except for using brain waves (thoughts) as input instead of a keyboard/joystick, this is no different than an online multiplayer game”. In other words, the only difference here is the source of the input signal. In the experiment the source is an animal brain, whereas in a game the source is a keyboard/mouse/joystick.

Each individual monkey here is not aware of the other monkeys. However, each of the individual monkeys will see the output generated by the computer based on the input simultaneously generated by the others. Consequently, each monkey will view the arm on the monitor mysteriously “moving on it’s own”, and will continue to contribute further to it’s movement by making any necessary corrections in order to guide the arm to the target. Eventually the target is hit, while each monkey remains blissfully ignorant of the others.

The only thing different about this experiment as opposed to others, which have been done for years now, is that the “brainet” has more than 1 node. I think the article attempts to give the impression that these animals were somehow telepathically connected and working as a “superbrain”. And from what I read, I have to question that interpretation. At best I would call it “collaberating” on a task to achieve a goal, and that’s not a new concept.

The article didn’t say much about how this procedure significantly improves the performance of a task, like parallel processing does in a computing environment. I don’t think using multiple monkeys is analogous to parallel processing. And I don’t see this as particularily empowering to the individuals whose brains are being tapped. It’s not like they’re telepathically communicating.

On the other hand, if you were to connect 1,000 individual brains to a remote computer and store their ongoing brainwave activity to a database, then I can imagine some pretty interesting analysis coming from that. And if the individual could then conversely tap into this “collective consciousness” database in some meaningful way, and not simply feed it, then I can perhaps see some value in that. However, if I wish to augment my intelligence then it might be more fruitful for me to have my brain wired to the Internet. Maybe that’s not a valid comparison, though. Who knows?

IDK, could be I’m just braindead, and if I were able to see the value in this study my head just might explode. You know, there is some truth in the saying, “Ignorance is Bliss”. And on that note, I’ll blissfully be on my way...

Let the good times roll...

originally posted by: BELIEVERpriest
One world, one nation, one mind. All that's missing is the mark of the beast.

One world, and one world mind might be advantageous.

There simply couldn't be any better position to be in strategically to help defend Earth in the face of an alien invasion. If everyone/thing was a united super organism, it would project maximum force against an outside threat.

Asimov talks about this in his Foundation series close to the end, with the idea of "Galaxia".

I know, we all think as individuals we're all SO important...it keeps us from even entertaining the idea of a collective. Consider though what the internet is doing -- it's literally laying the nervous system for a world-wide super organism. We're literally giving the Earth synapses and neural pathways with our fiber optic cables and data centers.

The internet itself is born out of humanity, and its possible that on day it could become so complex that it could spontaneously show self-awareness.

a reply to: Midnight4444:

And monkey's brains, though popular in Cantonese cuisine, are not often to be found in Washington D.C

Mmmmmm, synchronized monkey brains.....

I can't think of any possible benefit for the individual in this. Perhasp except from negating individual responsibility.