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Mind Control – Kevin Warwick

Friday, April 16th, 2010

Professor Kevin Warwick is one of the brains I’ll have the pleasure of encountering at tomorrows TEDxCam talks. Good Lord, this man is up to some slightly interesting things. The Human Cyborg as he’s been called, stemming from his successful experiment at linking his nervous system to the internet via a ‘little thing’ with 100 electrodes that he’d had ‘fired’ into his arm. In a later related experiment this hopeless romantic had his wife hooked up as well, where by they successfully communicated to each other through their nervous systems, sans mots, via the internet. What?!

Granted, it would or will be remarkable to have our brains directly linked to an omnipresent network (ie. Is that the day Google actually does become God? yikes at the thought). These then will truly be the days of “I Google therefore I am” but then the value of offline will sky rocket for me – if it even exists at that stage.

But looking at the promise of Professor Warwicks work for the disabled, granting the ability to control machines and mechanized limbs through the brain alone. This is outstanding. I think of my beautiful friend Michael Barrett, born with cerebral palsy, and unable to communicate with words or move any of his limbs (though Michael is an incredible communicator). The openings that this arena of bio-tech advancement offer are truly incredible. I still hold the strong caveat however to keep our eyes on the humanity and the human lessons and gifts that, through one of the great mysteries and paradoxes of life, are only available to mankind through our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. There are incredibly interesting and important movements at foot. I’m looking foward to his talk. Here’s a good video to give you a taste of Professor Cyborg in action.

Tags: cyborg, disabilities, internet, kevin warwick, nervous system, tedxcam
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