Mind Control & Robo-Rats

I came across a video on Youtube that reminded me remarkably of a gadget from a James Bond movie; Laser watch? Check. Detonating pen? Check. Mind control device? Check…wait what? That’s right…that inconspicuous control chip stealthily implanted into one’s brain by the enemy may actually start becoming a legitimate concern in the real world of secret agents, if it isn’t already. That’s why it is no surprise that DARPA, a U.S. Department of Defense agency focused on advancing military technology, funds research in this area. Through the use of a body/ machine interface mechanism, scientists have recently demonstrated the ability to control the direction of a rat’s movement (left, right, or forward). Two electrodes placed in the sensory cortex stimulate the rat’s whiskers on either the right or left side, creating a “phantom feeling”. This initiates orientation in the desired direction of movement. If the rat chooses to begin moving in the direction stimulated by the electrodes, it is soon after rewarded by a discharge in the reward center of the brain, releasing the neurotransmitter, dopamine, inducing a widespread feeling of pleasure. Note, that the rat is free to make its own decision regardless of experimental intervention, so the process can be viewed as merely motivating the rat to make a particular decision, not necessarily controlling its ability to do so. However, it is also one step closer to the actualization of mind control.

This remote control of another’s movement has also begun to be tested in humans, but in the vestibular system rather than the motor cortex, affecting the subject’s sense of balance/ equillibrium. While this is an exciting new field to explore, I am sure that I am not alone in expressing that it should be done with caution. Ethical boundaries are being pushed every day with the progression of technology and science. The mere idea of “mind control” threatens each individual’s autonomy by imposing on free will via neuro-manipulation. As seen in the video, we can already create involuntary movement by using electric pulse stimuli on various motor areas of the brain. What if one day this includes entire involuntary actions? The days of the "remote-control human cyborg" may be closer than we think.