BMI: Brain Machine Interface. Is this the future?

If you mean the original body of the copied mind is destroyed and then the copied mind "overwrites" the mind of another person, then I'd say you've created one new person and ended the lives of two.

Heh, reminds me of Dollhouse. The one issue with that I could never form an opinion on was re-writing a person's memories, and then re-writing them again to how they were to begin with. I can't decide whether that counts as "bringing them back" or starting a third person.

edited 20th Feb '12 5:44:44 PM by RTaco

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edited 20th Feb '12 9:43:47 PM by Baff

The mind is way more complex than you're giving it credit. Its not a computer program that can easily be edited.

Add what makes you say so? Do we really know what mind is, what makes it? Perhaps, eventualy, we learn to understand it.

Damn, forgot Schmuck Bait... Okay, add block!

Well, you could just opt to "unsee" it again.

Which leads to endless loop.

"What did I watch again? Hey, why there is a warning here? Let's see... OHMYGODMAKEITSTOP! DELETE DELETE! What Did I watch again? Hey, why...." this goes for eternity.

Surely you could leave yourself a note describing the contents, which is still less Brain Bleach worthy than actually seeing it.

Good idea!

And this has been useless derail. We now return to your original topic.

The nerve control thing is cool, but I wouldn't want a chip in my brain. What happens if they need to recall THAT huh?

Why would you need to recall 2 Girls 1 Cup!?

One possible limitation of brain machine interfaces which strikes me as difficult to avoid is that using it in order to control complicated equipment might actually require more effort than relying on a more traditional interface.

Yeah, we can use our brain to control our muscles up to an impressive degree of precision and coordination, and with barely any effort; but we have been using them our whole life, after all. Even putting engineering problems aside, learning to control an airplane with the mind would probably require at least as much effort as learning to walk again — more, perhaps, as our brain is not designed around this task and by now it presumably lacks the plasticity it had during its infancy.

It will certainly have its uses; but I have to wonder whether, in many cases, a sufficiently sophisticated and user-friendly physical interface might not prove itself more convenient.

edited 26th Feb '12 1:51:57 AM by Carciofus

Possibly, but so does normal method of learning to control airplanes take time. It's all about who you are used to do things. Compare people who type with "2 finger style" vs. "10 finger style". Both are valid methods, but switching between them can be a difficult thing.

Not to mention problems with impulses. "Don't think of elephants", except now it's "don't think of crashing".

I doubt computers would programmed so that if pilots thinks "I hope we don't crash" or "I wonder if we crash" or something like that, or even goes trough protocol, plane would go for nosedive. More likely, it would go to autopilot. Seriously, most of the pilots job is looking at the instruments, most of the stuff is done by computers.

But then what would be the advantage of using BMI instead of a physical interface?

Would the somewhat faster speed of reaction worth the technological complexity and (presumably) the longer training time?

I think the point would be that you could use any device from anywhere.

For now, it's probably better to use physical interfaces, but in the future it might be a good idea to integrate our Iphone tech into our minds, provided we could do it without causing damage. Then something like this would be more useful.

Getting an implant just to use a fucking phone is ridiculous, though. A phone should not in any sane world require a brain implant to use.

You'll change your mind when you get alzheimer's.

Yeah, a brain implant would in no way cure my hypothetical alzheimer's, Professor. A brain interface is an interface, not a cure for senility. It also doesn't change the fact that getting brain surgery just to operate a phone is fucking ridiculous and incredibly inconvenient for a luxury product.

edited 26th Feb '12 2:46:40 PM by AceofSpades

Look, the point is that eventually there will be technology that could benefit from BM Is. No need for hostility. We could discuss a dozen things that actually would help, but that's for another thread.

edited 26th Feb '12 2:51:24 PM by TheProffesor

But curing alzhemier's is not an application of brain implants. Also, I wasn't being hostile.

At any rate, I don't think this kind of technology should be wasted on simple phones. We should not have to get brain implants just to operate a daily function like this.

But imagine a phone that did run in your head. You could call multiple people at once, while reading your email.

I also wouldn't even have privacy within my own fucking skull. Sweet mother of mercy that's got to be one of the creepiest propositions I've seen unironically put forth in this forum in months.

edited 26th Feb '12 3:43:06 PM by Pykrete

That doesn't actually sound that much more convenient. Certainly nothing that can't be done with improving our current technology. Plus, I can already read my email while calling someone.

Again, a phone that requires you get brain surgery to use is fucking ridiculously inconvenient.

@mandemo I've (Thank God) never seen that. AND DON'T YOU DARE EMBED IT.