Everyone knows that drugs, such as narcotics and hallucinogens, can temporarily affect the human brain in a way that makes the user feel invincible and euphoric. However, these drugs can damage our brains and cause serious health problems. This article, originally published in THE WEEK, explores a new, perhaps safer, method of gaining "inner peace" and improving learning efficiency. Basically, the process includes a nine volt battery being hooked up to a human's head, and the electricity courses through the brain, leading to a feeling of calm focus. Neurofeedback and electrical brain stimulation have been tested and used by U.S. military researchers to accelerate learning and improve skills such as memorization and marksmanship. There are a few issues with the usage of electricity to improve the brains's capabilities. Some people worry that wealthy citizens looking to get a "brain boost" might be the only ones to use this technology, and paying for intelligence is morally wrong. There is also the fear that the technology might be abused, and will create super-assassins or a group of super-intelligent elite who oppress anyone who can't pay to be smarter. The last, and possibly most worrying issue, is that electrical brain stimulation will become the new "drug" for humans, and soon we may not feel that a nine volt battery is enough, and eventually push the technology to a dangerous level.
This connects with our unit on the nervous system, because it has to do with the electrical signals sent and received by neurons in our brains. The neurons transmit these signals, and if exposed to an additional electric current, I suppose the signals would be transmitted faster of be more focused. The author describes herself as feeling "an incredible silence" and "without self-doubt". This could possibly have been the result of the signals being more concentrated on what she was doing at the moment, and got rid of all the other random thoughts in her head. Personally, I think this technology is exactly the kind of thing you'd see in a science horror movie: With an amazing scientific breakthrough, the whole world is freed of stupidity, and then we all get so intelligent we cure cancer and stop global warming or whatever, but in the end there is some kind of catastrophe and we all end up killing each other in a one-against seven billion war of humanity. But that's just my opinion. And of course, it would be pretty neat to get a little smarter just in time for finals...
Article Source: http://theweek.com/article/index/226196/how-electrical-brain-stimulation-can-change-the-way-we-think/1 Author Sally Adee (IF YOU WOULD LIKE THE PDF FORMAT I CAN EMAIL IT TO YOU-JUST ASK)
Do you agree that this stimulation of the brain could ever become some sort of "drug" for humans? Explain. Also, if you could, would you try this out (just out of curiosity)?
ReplyDeleteYes, I think it is totally possible that in the future people will go to places to get electrical shocks that boost brain power. For instance, people today are always looking for ways to boost their energy, which is why 5-Hour Energy drinks are suddenly so popular. People in the future might schedule appointments to get shocks before important events like speeches or tests, or might look for electrical shocks if they are depressed and looking for relief.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely try this out, if it was open to the general public and I had the money to try it! Wouldn't you?