Brain chips could help paralysed

Yeah, I read that a few days ago. Seems like the first step towards a datajack, what with it being used to move a pointer on a computer screen. Can't wait to have a datajack.

Actually, it points towards Cyberlimbs. The chip will watch what happens to the brain when limbs are moved so that people who are paralized can later have mechanical limbs installed and a chip to watch the brain and controll the limbs.

I always wondered why it wasn't easier to do that already. It's gotta be fairly easy to map out which nerves are responsible for which actions, then create a chip that reads those nerve impules and have the robotic limb move in response. My wife is always quoting which nerves are responsible for which actions, so I've always been baffled by that.

I mean, how complicated could a human brain be?

Kevin Warwick actually has had a sort of datajack/vcr/rc for a few years now — he has an implanted circuit board that reads his nerve signals, and he has accomplished using it to move an electric wheelchair by pure thought, among other things. So the technology exists and works, it's just a question of testing, fine-tuning, de-bugging, approving, improving, cost-reduce, mass-market, and presto — Cyborgs everywhere! (I'd provide a link, but I'm too lazy to use the search engine...)

From what I've read, his wife (is going to get/has gotten) a similar chip to allow for mutual transfer of electrical impulses, so that they can, in essence 'feel' each other's emotions. This would mean we also have the basis for simsense.

Problems are that each person has a different nervous system, and the signals differ somewhat. Just compare two peoples response to same phenomena, like drilling in a tooth, taking a shot, having their earlobe sucked... Much more understanding is required before science can provide safe, efficient, affordable and even workable implants of this type.

When they start cranking out foci and doing Adept-oriented research, you'll all see me doing the gold-digger dance through the streets.

mmmmmmmm... adept powerrrrrrrs....

Just not for me, do'h.