MMEAs and DARPA: Mind Control ?

[Rayne]

As is well documented the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is funding many progressive biotech research programs.


One such program involves Brain Machine Interfaces and Muti Micro Electrode Arrays.


Some people think that there is a hidden agenda of attempting some sort of mind control via neuronal manipulation. Is this at all possible given the present technology and likely advances in the next 50 years?

 

[Rayne]

EDIT: poster is kind of a weirdo though i just scrolled down to his religious talk

Seems absurd but I guess some people think the technology already exists, found this on usenet :

...



"The Pentagon has admitted that the U.S. intelligence agencies called the
N.S.A. [ National Security Agency ], C.S.S [ Central Security Service ],
D.I.A. [ Defense Intelligence Agency ], D.A.R.P.A. [ Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency ], C.I.A. [ Central Intelligence Agency ], the
D.H.S. [ Department of Homeland Security ], and the F.B.I. [ Federal Bureau
of Investigation ] Cointelpro or Counter intelligence program unit, has the
technology to pick up the private thoughts given by individuals in the
vibrations produced by the brains electrical impulses, and that these
thoughts can be broadcast via satellites and any other form of technology
which uses electromagnetic transfer, i.e. television, radio, the internet,
and the telephone. The Pentagon calls this mind reading technology
SYNTHETHIC TELEPATHY, although there is nothing paranormal about it. For all
the skeptics out there, and for those who simply prefer not to believe that
such a totalitarian, neo-Nazi/neo-Communist thing could be possible, just
remember that the N.S.A. or National Security Agency is a part of the U.S.
Department of Defense, and a very secretive part at that. The N.S.A. has a
black budget, and is always headed by a flag officer from one of the
branches of the U.S. military. The secret technologies of the U.S. military
is usually thirty years or maybe even more ahead of the technology that is
available to the U.S. civilian technology. Who is to know among the general
U.S. public what the level of technological advancement is within the secret
laboratories of the N.S.A. The headquarters of the National Security Agency
is located at Fort George Meade in the U.S. state of Maryland... "

 

[Burnsys]

Don't know about that,
But take a look at DARPA Defence Sciences Office:

Human Assisted Neural Devices

Program Manager: COL Geoffrey Ling, M.D., Ph.D.

The Human Assisted Neural Devices Program represents a major DSO thrust area that will comprise a multidisciplinary, multipronged approach with far reaching impact. The program will create new technologies for augmenting human performance through the ability to noninvasively access codes in the brain in real time and integrate them into peripheral device or system operations. Focus will be on the following areas:

http://www.darpa.mil/dso/thrust/biosci/hand.htm


(Note that the link is a .mil)

 

[Rayne]

They are doing some amazing stuff at DSO, it is both exciting and scary given the intent to use such technology militarily.

This particular one is really interesting in that they are aiming to do all of this non - invasively. By "noninvasively access codes in the brain in real time and integrate them into peripheral device or system operations" do you think they mean to allow mental control of war machines? If they mean Non-invasive (potentially clandestine) access to a person's nueral codes for the purpose of analyzing thoughts that is frighteningly Orwellian.


Assuming our military science endeavors are nothing but ethical ( ) one can only imagine what, say, the Kim Jong Ill regime is trying to cook up. I would assume we are still the most capable of advancements such as these but korea, china et. al can't be too far behind us could they?

 

[Burnsys]

I think when they say noninvasively they refear to not inserting needles in your brain or somnthing like that.. i Can imagine some kind of helmet or somenthing.

added with this:


http://www.darpa.mil/dso/thrust/biosci/neovision.htm

The Neovision Program has a goal of using synthetic materials for a retinal prosthesis to enable signal transduction at the nerve/retina interface. Creative use of materials and design may allow this transduction, and the initial phase will address the interface and signal transfer mechanism.

So they will be able to see what you see.

 

[russ_watters]

That Yahoo groups post is nonsense, but...

This particular one is really interesting in that they are aiming to do all of this non - invasively. By "noninvasively access codes in the brain in real time and integrate them into peripheral device or system operations" do you think they mean to allow mental control of war machines? If they mean Non-invasive (potentially clandestine) access to a person's nueral codes for the purpose of analyzing thoughts that is frighteningly Orwellian.

IIRC, some progress has been made in controlling computer mice and possibly joysticks - about enough that with extreme concentration a test subject can keep a plane level or a car on the road. Long, long way to go before we can actually use that.