Awaiting the neurocentury

October 13, 2010

As our understanding of the human brain increases, so will our capability to use that knowledge for practical, engineering purposes. If one steps back and surveys the landscape, some things we can do currently (in the early phases of understanding) are remarkable. Neuroprosthetics allow handicapped people to control prosthetic limbs through brain activity. Certain drugs, dubbed “neuroenhancers,” can enhance brain function itself (the subject of an excellent 2009 New Yorker article). Lie detector tests have been designed (although their implementation has been very controversial) that differentiate truth from falsehood by actually peering into the brain and analyzing activity in different areas. (The Observer)