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San Francisco, 10:56 AM
Sun Nov 8
10 posts in the last 24 hours

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  • posts about #mindcontrol more →

    Scientists Rewrite Flies' Memories, Bring the Dollhouse Closer

    Get Rid of Your Mind-Controlling Parasite in Nine Easy Steps

    Ultrasound Can Give You Memories of Learning Things in College

    A Memory-Erasing Chemical That Can Change Your Behavior

    Best Mind-Control Device User Interface Ever

    U.S. Soldiers Need Brain Enhancers, Say Defense Department Scientists

    Monkey Feeds Itself With a Robotic Arm

    Sneak Peek at Cyborg War Romance 'Appleseed: Ex Machina'

    Buy Yourself A Retconned Happy Childhood

    Zontar! You're Slimy! Use Your Intellect on Me!
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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of Starwatcher Starwatcher
    10/18/09

    In reply to Scientists Rewrite Flies' Memories, Bring the Dollhouse Closer
    Experiments on memory are among the most worrisome in my book. Memory is plastic enough and can be strongly manipulated just with selective propaganda, and now scientists want to go mucking around with it. Be very concerned. #neuroscience
     Reply
    Starwatcher was starred Starwatcher was unstarred
    Image of firstanointed firstanointed
    10/17/09

    In reply to Scientists Rewrite Flies' Memories, Bring the Dollhouse Closer
    Good lord, they wasted money doing this study? Really? I could have done this using a whoopee cushion and video of Rush Limbaugh. #neuroscience
     Reply
    ParryLost promoted this comment firstanointed was starred firstanointed was unstarred
    Image of ParryLost ParryLost
    10/17/09

    @firstanointed: You could have mapped out the exact individual neurons responsible for associative learning in a simple brain with a whoopee cushion and a video of Rush Limbaugh? :P #neuroscience
     Reply
    ParryLost was starred ParryLost was unstarred
    Image of firstanointed firstanointed
    10/18/09

    @ParryLost: Yes! You'll have to take my word for it. It's a delicate but precise science. #neuroscience
     Reply
    firstanointed was starred firstanointed was unstarred
    Image of Bigdamnhero Bigdamnhero
    10/17/09

    In reply to Scientists Rewrite Flies' Memories, Bring the Dollhouse Closer
    This will never work on humans. When I turn on the TV most nights, an awful odor begins to permeate the room... and yet I'll continue to watch SyFy. #neuroscience
     Reply
    Bigdamnhero was starred Bigdamnhero was unstarred
    Image of Blue_Thark Blue_Thark
    10/17/09

    In reply to Scientists Rewrite Flies' Memories, Bring the Dollhouse Closer
    There are just 12 cells in the fly brain linked with associative learning.

    So THAT's why the same fly keeps landing on my Fruit Loops without realizing they're indigestible.

    The flies effective "remembered" that something bad was associated with the smell, even though they had never experienced it themselves.

    And are they sure the flies weren't just remembering the, um, giant horrible laser burning into their tiny brains?

    Also, I hope I'm not the only one who thinks the fly in that photo looks amusingly "stitchpunk." #neuroscience
     Reply
    Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H. promoted this comment Blue_Thark was starred Blue_Thark was unstarred
    Image of ParryLost ParryLost
    10/17/09

    @Blue_Thark: I think they did control for the "giant horrible laser into ur brain" effect. The article mentions the flies only reacted with fear when they activated the right cells with the laser-guided ATP thingy, which implies they shot the laser at other cells without provoking a fear response. #neuroscience
     Reply
    ParryLost was starred ParryLost was unstarred
    Image of phoghat phoghat
    10/17/09

    In reply to Scientists Rewrite Flies' Memories, Bring the Dollhouse Closer
    And the fly said #neuroscience
     Reply
    phoghat was starred phoghat was unstarred
    Image of ThisDudeRufus ThisDudeRufus
    10/17/09

    In reply to Scientists Rewrite Flies' Memories, Bring the Dollhouse Closer
    Is there a way to use this to make a positive reaction? #neuroscience
     Reply
    ThisDudeRufus was starred ThisDudeRufus was unstarred
    Image of delusionsofgrandeur delusionsofgrandeur
    10/17/09

    @ThisDudeRufus: Helping rape victims and war veterans would be my first plan of action. #neuroscience
     Reply
    ThisDudeRufus promoted this comment delusionsofgrandeur was starred delusionsofgrandeur was unstarred
    Image of GreyHammer GreyHammer
    10/17/09

    @delusionsofgrandeur: thats exactly where my mind went with it. trauma victims made whole again by augmented memories. #neuroscience
     Reply
    GreyHammer was starred GreyHammer was unstarred
    Image of J_Frank_Parnell J_Frank_Parnell
    10/17/09

    @delusionsofgrandeur: Don't forget people who've paid money to see Roland Emmerich movies. #neuroscience
     Reply
    J_Frank_Parnell was starred J_Frank_Parnell was unstarred
    Image of Srynerson Srynerson
    10/17/09

    @J_Frank_Parnell: No, that's usually self-inflicted. We don't want to create a "moral risk" situation encouraging people to watch Roland Emmerich's films. #neuroscience
     Reply
    RandomFrequentFlierDent promoted this comment Srynerson was starred Srynerson was unstarred
    Image of Jesse Astle Jesse Astle
    10/17/09

    @GreyHammer: But what if I'm Captain Kirk and I want my pain? #neuroscience
     Reply
    Bigdamnhero promoted this comment Jesse Astle was starred Jesse Astle was unstarred
    Image of Bigdamnhero Bigdamnhero
    10/17/09

    @delusionsofgrandeur: Having never been either, I am supremely unqualified to have an opinion... but for sake of argument: is forgetting trauma really preferable to coming to grips with it?

    That which we choose not to remember makes us stronger? #neuroscience
     Reply
    Bigdamnhero was starred Bigdamnhero was unstarred
    Image of ThisDudeRufus ThisDudeRufus
    10/17/09

    @Bigdamnhero: It seems like it's not so much altering the actual memory, rather it's just altering the physiological response. Like, it wouldn't make you forget that balloon trip when you were seven, but you won't puke on planes anymore. #neuroscience
     Reply
    ThisDudeRufus was starred ThisDudeRufus was unstarred
    Image of spidyredneckjedi spidyredneckjedi
    10/17/09

    @ThisDudeRufus: If I'm reading you right, it wouldn't get to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind levels of advancement or implementation. It would more or less help people to get over minor phobias like snakes or heights, based on traumatic experiences of the past.
    I'd get behind that science. #neuroscience
     Reply
    Bigdamnhero promoted this comment spidyredneckjedi was starred spidyredneckjedi was unstarred
    Image of Bigdamnhero Bigdamnhero
    10/17/09

    @ThisDudeRufus: Interesting... but is that still desirable? We are the sum of everything that has happened to us.

    Maybe this is a bit hyperbolic, but I'm reminded of the Twilight Zone ep, "Number 12 Looks Just Like You." While the Transformation has to do with physical looks, it's also a kind of "mental" plastic surgery, indicated by the scene with Lana and Val, right before she's Transformed:

    Lana: "Valery... can't you feel anything?"

    Val: "Well, of course silly! I feel good... I always feel good. Life is pretty, life is fun; I am all, and all is one!"

    I know we're just talking about eliminating phobias, but still... how slippery is that slope? How much of your mind would you be willing to alter to be happy? #neuroscience
     Reply
    Bigdamnhero was starred Bigdamnhero was unstarred
    Image of GreyHammer GreyHammer
    10/17/09

    In reply to Scientists Rewrite Flies' Memories, Bring the Dollhouse Closer
    hopefully this puts us in the cool version of dollhouse with felicia day and not the client of the week stuff. #neuroscience
     Reply
    GreyHammer was starred GreyHammer was unstarred
    Image of KhaiJB KhaiJB
    12/08/08

    In reply to Get Rid of Your Mind-Controlling Parasite in Nine Easy Steps
    how about the Wamphyri from the Necroscope books?
     Reply
    KhaiJB was starred KhaiJB was unstarred
    Image of GitEmSteveDave_RockinLabCoat GitEmSteveDave_RockinLabCoat
    12/08/08

    In reply to Get Rid of Your Mind-Controlling Parasite in Nine Easy Steps
    Do the nanites from Crichtons book Prey count? IIRC, you needed to consume sewage to have an effect on them.
     Reply
    GitEmSteveDave_RockinLabCoat was starred GitEmSteveDave_RockinLabCoat was unstarred
    Image of crashedpc - Haifisch crashedpc - Haifisch
    12/07/08

    In reply to Get Rid of Your Mind-Controlling Parasite in Nine Easy Steps
    Yeah, I dunno if I'd want to wait it out as a brain in a jar while the Yithians float around with my body. Wait, I need a refresher on that story... where did the victim's consciousness go while the body was on a bender?
     Reply
    crashedpc - Haifisch was starred crashedpc - Haifisch was unstarred
    Image of R.O.A.C.H. Creates ACyclicUniverse R.O.A.C.H. Creates ACyclicUniverse
    12/07/08

    @crashedpc:


    Into a Yithian body.


    Normally they're pretty good at erasing the victim's memories afterward, but they failed pretty epically in that case.

     Reply
    R.O.A.C.H. Creates ACyclicUniverse was starred R.O.A.C.H. Creates ACyclicUniverse was unstarred
    Image of crashedpc - Haifisch crashedpc - Haifisch
    12/08/08

    @ACyclicUniverse: Thanks. I think I'd rather swap bodies with a Shoggoth. They can shapeshift!
     Reply
    crashedpc - Haifisch was starred crashedpc - Haifisch was unstarred
    Image of joneez wants the clunkers he paid for joneez wants the clunkers he paid for
    12/07/08

    In reply to Get Rid of Your Mind-Controlling Parasite in Nine Easy Steps
    Damn I miss Lexx.
     Reply
    joneez wants the clunkers he paid for was starred joneez wants the clunkers he paid for was unstarred
    Image of RAHfanboy RAHfanboy
    12/08/08

    @joneez: Me too.
     Reply
    RAHfanboy was starred RAHfanboy was unstarred
    Image of B B
    12/07/08

    In reply to Get Rid of Your Mind-Controlling Parasite in Nine Easy Steps
    Or, in Fry's case, just be really dumb, and the parasite will starve to death.
     Reply
    B was starred B was unstarred
    Image of Purple Dave Purple Dave
    12/08/08

    @B:
    I'm not sure if Fry was immune due to being stupid, or if it was that thing with doing the nasty-in-the-past-y, becoming his own grandfather, and producing within himself some odd genetic defect where he doesn't produce a certain set of brain waves (which is what made him immune to the giant brains)
     Reply
    Purple Dave was starred Purple Dave was unstarred
    Image of NeroliAculeo NeroliAculeo
    12/07/08

    In reply to Get Rid of Your Mind-Controlling Parasite in Nine Easy Steps
    You missed two classic Sci-Fi mind control episodes!

    Buffy The Vampire Slayer; "Bad Eggs"
    Star Trek: The Next Generation; "Conspiracy"
     Reply
    NeroliAculeo was starred NeroliAculeo was unstarred
    Image of Platypus Man Platypus Man
    12/08/08

    @NeroliAculeo: Conspiracy: Put a fake thing on your neck, pretend to like their terrible food, and then shoot up the joint?
     Reply
    Platypus Man was starred Platypus Man was unstarred
    Image of ♥AntiSocialSocialite♥ ♥AntiSocialSocialite♥
    10/31/08

    In reply to Ultrasound Can Give You Memories of Learning Things in College
    great... because i've been trying to REMEMBER that time i had sex with anderson cooper and robert pattinson so...... strap me in!
     Reply
    ♥AntiSocialSocialite♥ was starred ♥AntiSocialSocialite♥ was unstarred
    Image of rovroman rovroman
    10/31/08

    In reply to Ultrasound Can Give You Memories of Learning Things in College
    this sounds great until they make you "remember" how much you love the government
     Reply
    rovroman was starred rovroman was unstarred
    Image of Anekanta - Go Play! Anekanta - Go Play!
    10/31/08

    @rovroman: Yeah, or when you suddenly "remember" assassinating the head of state, or planting the car bomb...
     Reply
    Anekanta - Go Play! was starred Anekanta - Go Play! was unstarred
    Image of Annalee Newitz Annalee Newitz
    10/31/08

    @Anekanta: There was an episode of Torchwood about this . . .
     Reply
    Annalee Newitz was starred Annalee Newitz was unstarred
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