New York Times writer Linda Kinstler needed to experience neural-implant technology firsthand for her article “Your brain is a battleground” (Nov. 30). MIT was the perfect place to start. There she was handed a pair of thick eyeglasses with three silver strips on the interior, each one outfitted with an array of electrical sensors, and in front of her was a small robotic soccer ball.
Prompted to perform “basic mental calculus,” Kinstler started running through the multiples of 17 in her head. When she focused, the soccer ball lit up and started spinning; when her focus waned, the ball stood still.
kAm“x D66>65 E@ 92G6 >256 :E >@G6 H:E9 E96 D966C 7@C46 @7 >J >:?5[ E9@F89 x 925 ?@E H:==65 :E :? 2?J D6?D6[” D96 C64@F?E65] “|J 3C2:? 24E:G:EJ H2D 4@??64E65 E@ 2 7@C6:8? @3;64E]”k^Am
kAm%96 8=2DD6D 2C6 2 D:>A=6 3C2:?\4@>AFE6C :?E6C7246[ @C q]r]x][ 2 4@?5F:E 36EH66? 3C2:? 2?5 >249:?6] %96D6 :?E6C7246D 2C6 :?4C65:3=J A@H6C7F=i &D:?8 2CE:7:4:2= :?E6==:86?46 D4:6?E:DED 92G6 FD65 E96> E@ 564@56 “:>28:?65 DA6649[” 4@?DECF4E:?8 H@C5D 2?5 D6?E6?46D 7C@> ?6FC2= 52E2j E@ C64C62E6 >6?E2= :>286Dj 2?5 E@ EC246 6>@E:@?D 2?5 6?6C8J =6G6=D] q]r]x]D 92G6 2==@H65 A6@A=6 H9@ 42??@E >@G6 @C DA62< E@ 4@>>F?:42E6 H:E9 E96:C 72>:=:6D 2?5 42C68:G6CD[ 2?5 6G6? A=2J G:56@ 82>6D]k^Am
kAm}6FC2= 52E2[ :?7@C>2E:@? 56C:G65 5:C64E=J 7C@> E96 3C2:? 2?5 ?6CG@FD DJDE6>[ 42? @776C F?A2C2==6=65 :?D:89ED :?E@ E96 H@C<:?8D @7 E96 9F>2? >:?5[ 2?5 E96 A@E6?E:2= E@ 2=E6C 9F>2? F?56CDE2?5:?8 2?5 3692G:@C] |@C6@G6C[ E9:D E649?@=@8J 92D 6G6? 366? FD65 :? >2>>2= 3C2:?D E@ :>A=2?E 72=D6 >6>@C:6D[ 2D H6== 2D E@ D:=6?46 6I:DE:?8 C64@==64E:@?D 2?5 E@ C64@G6C =@DE @?6D]k^Am
kAmt?E6C t=@? |FD<’D }6FC2=:?<] w:D ?6FC2=\E649?@=@8J 4@>A2?J 2:>D E@ 6G6?EF2==J 4@??64E E96 ?6FC2= ?6EH@C<D :?D:56 @FC 3C2:?D E@ 2CE:7:4:2==J :?E6==:86?E @?6D @? E96 @FED:56[ 4C62E:?8 2 EH@\H2J A2E9 36EH66? >:?5 2?5 >249:?6 — 2? 25G2?46>6?E E92E H:== 2==@H E96 9F>2? 3C2:? E@ 7F?4E:@? >@C6 =:<6 2 4@>AFE6C] xE C64@C5D E96 4@?G6CD2E:@?D 36EH66? E96 3C2:?’D ?6FC@?D[ 2?5 E96 52E2 AC@5F465 E9C@F89 @FC DJ?2AD6D 7:C:?8 4@F=5 36 4@==64E65[ DE@C65[ 2?5 FA=@2565 E@ 2? 6IE6C?2= 92C5 5C:G6 7@C C6EC:6G2=]k^Am
kAm(96? qC25 $>:E9[ E96 7:CDE }6FC2=:?< A2E:6?E H:E9 2>J@EC@A9:4 =2E6C2= D4=6C@D:D W{@F v69C:8’D 5:D62D6X[ E9:?<D 23@FE >@G:?8 9:D 92?5[ E96 ?6FC@?D “E2=<[” 2?5 D>2== 3=:AD @7 6=64EC:4 D:8?2=D EC2?D>:E 7C@> E96 6=64EC@56D :? 9:D 3C2:? E@ E96 =2AE@A D4C66? 6=6G2E65 :? 7C@?E @7 9:D 7246] w6 E9:?<D 2?5 9:D 4FCD@C >@G6D] w6 2=D@ FD6D E96 px 492E3@E vC@< E@ 5C27E 9:D ) A@DED]k^Am
kAm}6FC@E649?@=@8J DF49 2D }6FC2=:?< 9@=5D E96 A@E6?E:2= E@ D:8?:7:42?E=J :>AC@G6 9F>2? 962=E9 2?5 H6==\36:?8 E9C@F89 G2C:@FD A@D:E:G6 2AA=:42E:@?D] xE 42? :>AC@G6 >6>@CJ[ >2?286 3C2:? 5:D62D6D[ AC@G:56 ?6H =6G6=D @7 4@?EC@= @G6C 3C2:? 7F?4E:@?[ 2?5 6?92?46 564:D:@?\>2<:?8 2?5 6>@E:@?2= C68F=2E:@?]k^Am
kAmxE 42? AC@G:56 E96C2A6FE:4 36?67:ED 7@C A6@A=6 H:E9 2 C2?86 @7 ?6FC@=@8:42= 4@?5:E:@?D DF49 2D DEC@<6[ 49C@?:4 A2:?[ A2C2=JD:D[ @C ADJ49@=@8:42= 5:D@C56CD[ :?4=F5:?8 2?I:6EJ 2?5 A@DE\EC2F>2E:4 DEC6DD 5:D@C56C] }6FC2= 52E2 42? 2=D@ 36 FD65 7@C A6CD@?2= H6==36:?8[ DA@CED[ >2C<6E:?8[ 2?5 6G6? H@C<7@C46 >@?:E@C:?8]k^Am
kAmqFE E96D6 3C2:?\E@\px :?E6C24E:@?D 4@F=5 2=D@ 2>@F?E E@ @?6’D D6?D6 @7 D6=7 36:?8 6DD6?E:2==J @G6CHC:EE6?[ 7:?5:?8 @FCD6=G6D >@C6 369@=56? E@ @FC 56G:46D 2?5 E96:C 4C62E@CD E92? H6 2== 2=C625J 2C6]k^Am
kAm“%96 A@DD:3:=:EJ E92E E96C2A6FE:4 ?6FC@E649?@=@8:6D 4@F=5 @?6 52J 36 H62A@?:K65 7@C A@=:E:42= AFCA@D6D =@@>D 962G:=J @G6C E96 7:6=5[” z:?DE=6C H2C?65 :? E96 }*%] “|FD<[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ 92D 6IAC6DD65 2 56D:C6 E@ ‘56DEC@J E96 H@<6 >:?5 G:CFD]’” xE 5@6D ?@E C6BF:C6 2 8C62E =@8:42= =62A E@ DFDA64E E92E 96 D66D }6FC2=:?< 2D A2CE @7 2 H2J E@ 5@ D@]k^Am
kAmv:G6? E92E ?6FC@E649?@=@8:6D 92G6 E96 A@E6?E:2= E@ 564@56[ @C 6G6? 492?86[ A2EE6C?D @7 E9@F89E 2?5 24E:@?[ D@>6 C68F=2E:@? :D ?646DD2CJ 8:G6? E96 C:D<D @7 4@>A2?:6D 2?5 8@G6C?>6?ED 92G:?8 F?76EE6C65 2446DD E@ @FC ?6FC2= 52E2] yFDE :>28:?6 D@4:2= >65:2 2=8@C:E9>D E92E 92G6 2446DD E@ @FC ?6FC2= 52E2[ ;FDE =:<6 @FC 3C@HD:?8 9:DE@CJ 2?5 A@=:E:42= =62?:?8D[ 2?5 E96? D2EFC2E6 @FC 56G:46D H:E9 7665D E@ 4@?EC@= @FC >:?5D 2?5 3692G:@C[ 2 7@C> @7 “3C2:? H2C72C6[” :7 J@F H:==]k^Am
kAm}:E2 u2C292?J[ AC@76DD@C @7 =2H 2?5 A9:=@D@A9J 2E sF<6[ 2C8F6D E92E H6 ?665 E@ C64@8?:K6 2 7F?52>6?E2= C:89E E@ “4@8?:E:G6 =:36CEJ[” H9:49 D49@=2CD 92G6 567:?65 2D “E96 C:89E 2?5 7C665@> E@ 4@?EC@= @?6’D @H? 4@?D4:@FD?6DD 2?5 6=64EC@496>:42= E9@F89E AC@46DD” – :? @E96C H@C5D[ E@ AC@E64E @FC >:?5D]k^Am
kAmu@C u2C292?J[ E9:D <:?5 @7 =:36CEJ “:D 2 AC64@?5:E:@? E@ 2?J @E96C 4@?46AE @7 =:36CEJ[ :? E92E[ :7 E96 G6CJ D4277@=5:?8 @7 E9@F89E :ED6=7 :D >2?:AF=2E65[ F?56C>:?65[ :?E6C76C65 H:E9[ E96? 2?J @E96C H2J :? H9:49 J@F H@F=5 6I6C4:D6 J@FC =:36CE:6D :D >62?:?8=6DD[ 3642FD6 J@F 2C6 ?@ =@?86C 2 D6=7\56E6C>:?65 9F>2? 2E E92E A@:?E]”k^Am
kAmx? 2 A=246 2H2D9 :? A6CD@?2= 52E2[ :? 3@E9 E96 A9JD:42= 2?5 5:8:E2= H@C=5D[ H96C6 :E’D 62D:=J 3@F89E 2?5 D@=5[ E96C6 2C6 76H E@@=D E@ D9:6=5 @FC :??6C>@DE D6=G6D 7C@> “7:?2?4:2=:K2E:@?]” %96 :?4C62D:?8 2=8@C:E9>:4 6IA6C:6?46 @7 6G6CJ52J =:76 E9C62E6?D E@ 6?4C@249 @? @FC 7C665@> @7 E9@F89E[ 4@?D4:6?46[ 2?5 @A:?:@?] w@H >F49 AC:G24J >:89E H6[ 2D 2 D@4:6EJ[ 36 H:==:?8 E@ EC256 7@C 6?92?465 4@8?:E:@? @C >2?28:?8 3C2:? 5:D62D6Dnk^Am
kAm“x? E9C66 J62CD[ H6 H:== 92G6 =2C86\D42=6 >@56=D @7 ?6FC2= 52E2 E92E 4@>A2?:6D 4@F=5 AFE @? 2 56G:46 @C DEC62> E@ E96 4=@F5[ E@ ECJ E@ >2<6 AC65:4E:@?D[” D2:5 |24<6?K:6 |2E9:D[ 2 ?6FC@D4:6?E:DE 2E E96 $H:DD u656C2= x?DE:EFE6 @7 %649?@=@8J[ {2FD2??6]k^Am
kAmw@H E9@D6 <:?5D @7 52E2 EC2?D76CD D9@F=5 36 C68F=2E65[ D96 D2:5[ :D 2? FC86?E BF6DE:@?] “(6 2C6 492?8:?8 A6@A=6[ ;FDE =:<6 D@4:2= >65:2 @C =2C86 =2?8F286 >@56=D 492?865 A6@A=6]”k^Am
kAm}6FC@E649?@=@8:6D 92G6 E96 A@E6?E:2= E@ 96=A F?4@G6C D@>6 @7 E96 D64C6ED @7 E96 3:@=@8J F?56C=J:?8 E96 ?@C>2= 2?5 A2E9@=@8:42= 7F?4E:@?:?8 @7 E96 9F>2? 3C2:? – 2C8F23=J E96 >@DE 4@>A=6I 2?5 =62DE F?56CDE@@5 @C82? @7 E96 9F>2? 3@5J] qFE E96J 2=D@ 92G6 E96 A@E6?E:2= E@ @FED@FC46 @FC :??6C>@DE D6=G6D E@ A@=:E:42= @C 4@CA@C2E6 6?E:E:6D H:E9 D6G6C6 C2>:7:42E:@?D @? :?5:G:5F2= =:36CE:6D 2?5 4FCC6?E D@4:2= DECF4EFC6D]k^Am
kAmt=@? |FD<’D }6FC2=:?< D@=:5:7:6D E96 ?@E:@? E92E 3C2:?\>249:?6 :?E6C7246D 2C6 E96 ?6H E649?@=@8J 7C@?E:6C[ 2? :?6G:E23=6 25G2?46>6?E 3C:?8:?8 9F>2?D 2?5 px :?E@ 4=@D6C 2=:8?>6?E H:E9 6249 @E96C[ 86?6C2E:?8 ?6H E9C62ED 2D H6== 2D @AA@CEF?:E:6D] %96 @?=J E9:?8 =67E F?46CE2:? :D H96E96C 8=@32= =6256CD H:== 92G6 E96 7@C6D:89E 2?5 :?E6C?2E:@?2= 7C2>6H@C< E@ :>A=6>6?E :E 4@CC64E=J]k^Am
kAmsC] (:==:2> z@=36[ 2? p?5@G6C C6D:56?E[ :D 2 C6E:C65 9:89 D49@@= 2?5 4@==686 E62496C 2?5 7@C>6C !6246 r@CAD G@=F?E66C :? %@?82 2?5 t= $2=G25@C] w6 42? 36 C624965 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i3:=2]<@=36ho8>2:=]4@>Qm3:=2]<@=36ho8>2:=]4@>k^2m]k^Am
Commented
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.