monkeys play video game with their mind
 

This is pretty freakin' amazing.

Basically, scientists at Duke University took monkeys and wired their brains up to a computer. They then taught the monkeys how to play a video game using a joystick. Then, they took the joystick away. Now the monkeys can play the game and move a robotic arm <i>using only their mind</i>. Yes, that's right.. they move a robotic arm with their thoughts.

The scientists hope their research will help in the development of neuroprosthetic devices for paralyzed people.

That is some groovy shit.

Awhile back I read about a man who was paralyzed below the waist who was part of an experiment using similar hair-thin microelectrodes... they were implanted into his leg muscles and electrified, allowing him to walk using a walker. Of course the guy is in a lot of pain now, years later, as the microelectrodes have become infected over time and he has had to undergo numerous surgeries.

So obviously there are more issues to address that just the technology, but the fact that this has been produced in a lab is crazy cool. Imagine people who are completely paralyzed being able to drive an electric wheelchair and use an auxiliary arm. We'll have that before we have flying cars.

Mind control of a whole robot instead of just an robotic arm would be a logical extension. Then robotic prosthetics for the six million dollar man. Or is that billion?:)
Paraplegics and amputees repaired like it was Hogwarts Infirmary.

Wouldn't it be weird if you were just a brain in a bowl, you were controlling a robot remotely, and the robot was out in the world living your life for you?

Well, I was indicating near-future affordable stuff. I doubt we'll have whole robotic bodies in the next 15 years which are affordable to any but the ultra-rich overlords. And those creeps will just use them to further crush the lower class into submission, not realizing that they are paving their own road to destruction in blood! Bwahahahah!

Oh, sorry.

THAT's why we defend the 2nd amendment so vigorously.;)

Note to goverment red-flag-raising software: The "overlords" I refer to are fictional persons who displace and/or destroy our goverment in the future. Thank you.

Note to fictional future overlords: I'm good at stuff, give me an important job! I don't suck at the Internet!

That's neat! As somone with really shitty eyesight, the "mind interface" technologies I'm most interested in are the ones involving vision (like this).