June 04, 2006
Dr. Lillian Reynolds: Can you see better if I move it a little closer?
Dr. Michael Anthony Brace: I can see something. It's parts of the grid, but it's still rotating. It's not locking up.
Hal Abramson: Maybe we all need a little break, Lillian.
Dr. Lillian Reynolds: Hal, you take a break.
- Brainstorm
For the first time, scientists at the Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry have coupled living brain tissue to a chip equivalent, reports the Science Blog.
Before informational input perceived by the mammalian brain is stored in the long-term memory, it is temporarily memorised in the hippocampus (left). Understanding the function of the hippocampus as an important player in the memory process is a major topic of current brain research.
Methods commonly used in neurophysiology are invasive, restricted to a small number of cells or suffer from low spatial resolution. The scientists in Martinsried developed a revolutionary noninvasive technique that enables them to record neural communication between thousands of nerve cells in the tissue of a brain slice with high spatial resolution.
This technique involves culturing razor-thin slices of the hippocampus region on semiconductor chips. These chips were developed in collaboration with Infineon Technologies AG to record neural activity in the brain.
Recording the activity patterns of the united cell structure of an intact mammalian brain tissue represents a significant technological breakthrough. Employing the new technique, the biophysicists working under the direction of Peter Fromherz were able to visualize the influence of pharmaceutical compounds on the neural network. This makes the “brain-chip” from Martinsried a novel test system for brain and drug research.
The world's first brain prosthesis - an artificial hippocampus - has been developed (right). Unlike devices like cochlear implants, which merely stimulate brain activity, this silicon chip implant will perform the same processes as the damaged part of the brain it is replacing.
A team of US researchers has shown that controlling devices with the brain is a step closer. A brain-computer interface (BCI) translates electrical signals detected from the scalp into a user's commands. Previous systems used electrodes surgically implanted in the brain.
Researchers at NY's Department of Health believe it could eventually allow control of complex movements, such as operating a word processing program or a motorized wheelchair by thought alone.
Maybe brain interfaces will become a killer app for gigabit fiber networks. The OptIPuter as a game machine. Cell processor game machines are just around the corner.
Infineon is also a development partner with Microsoft for prepaid and subscription computing with their FlexGo technology. Microsoft's got the server (with a terabyte of ram). Buy Vista.
Plug a Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) headset into your settop box from the Cable Health Network. Watch the "test". Zap. Eliminate drug addiction, alcoholism and pesky political dissidents in a flash.
Here are some links to Psychophysiology-Related Companies.
DailyWireless has more on Brainstorm Programs. Zack Lynch edits the Brain Waves blog on Corante.
