Neurosphere

For a more grounded view of the electric brain, here’s a year-old article from Science.

“This fall, surgeons implanted 100 electrodes into the brain of a 25-year-old quadriplegic man and connected them to a computer that enables him to check his e-mail and choose a television channel with his thoughts alone. And monkeys with similarly implanted electrodes have used brain signals to move cursors or robotic arms in two dimensions (Science, 24 January 2003, p. 496). Now, in a groundbreaking development, two neuroscientists from the Wadsworth Center, part of the New York State Department of Health in Albany, have shown that similar feats may be possible without the dangers of inserting electrodes into the brain. This week, in the online Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Wadsworth’s Jonathan Wolpaw and Dennis McFarland demonstrate a brain-computer interface (BCI) that can translate externally detected brain signals into both horizontal and vertical movement of a computer cursor.”

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/306/5703/1878a

I believe there’s a lot to be learned about the electrical nature of the brain and body. I’m not sure this device reflects much in the way of learning, but hey, they have an office just down the street from my house. Maybe I’ll drop in. Lord knows my cells have not been “vibrating at their optimal frequency” in years.

The VIBE Machine – (Vibrational Integration Bio-Photonic Energizer) It uses the principle that life forms can absorb radio wave energy to strengthen the cells of the body against physical imbalances and infection. The device creates a strong electromagnetic field that raises the vibration of your cells to their optimal frequency. By sitting next to the machine, one receives the benefits of this energy field.

http://www.vibemachine.com/

A related product is Lifewave.

“The LifeWave Energy Enhancer patches contain the LifeWave technology. The patches are constructed from a patent pending blend of water, stabilized Oxygen, amino acids and sugars sealed inside of a plastic shell. These materials are put through a proprietary process and applied to a substrate so as to form a nano-scale organic antenna. This organic antenna is then “programmed” like a computer chip. When properly assembled, these LifeWave antennas are capable of passively communicating with the user to instruct the body to improve energy and stamina. Endorsements from Olympic swimming coach Richard Quick and LPGA Hall of Fame golfer JoAnne Carner.”

http://www.lifewave.com/

This one sounds borderline crackpot, but it doesn’t seem that far from the realm of biometrics generally. It would be a subtler investigation to correlate a brain “fingerprint” with personality, memories, consciousness, but surely an interesting one.

“The Colorado House Judiciary Committee Hearing on Brain Fingerprinting Testing will take place Thursday, March 9, at 1:30 p.m., in Colorado State Capitol, Room 0112. This is a critical bill that the DaVinci Institute has been working towards for the past two years. The impact of Brain Fingerprinting will be global as a valuable tool for more efficient and cost-effective justice and increased public safety.

The inventor of Brain Fingerprinting testing, Dr. Lawrence Farwell, caught a last minute flight into Colorado and is scheduled to offer expert testimony at the hearing. Other stakeholders in criminal justice and corrections are invited to attend either to just observe and learn, or to offer comments on the technology.”

www.brainwavescience.com

Posting about implants reminded me to check in on how medical technology is moving the personal interface to technology over and under the skin in interesting ways.

“The monitor measures glucose from interstitial fluid located just underneath the skin by sending a tiny electric current through the skin. The Glucose Watch has a 3-hour warm-up period and could provide painless, noninvasive measurements of blood sugar every 20 minutes for up to 12 hours. The Glucose Watch is not intended to replace traditional finger stick glucose monitoring, instead it should be used to supplement monitoring.”

http://www.diabetesinmichigan.org/Archived/Glucosewatch.htm

The European Commission is investigating pros and cons of RFID. This seems like a common sense, balanced investigation.

“RFID tags are far cleverer than traditional bar codes. They are the precursors of a world in which billions of networked objects and sensors will report their location, identity, and history” said Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding. “These networks and devices will link everyday objects into an ‘internet of things’ that will greatly enhance economic prosperity and the quality of life. But as with any breakthrough, there is a possible downside – in this case, the implications of RFID for privacy. This is why we need to build a society-wide consensus on the future of RFID, and the need for credible safeguards. We must harness the technology and create the right opportunities for its use for the wider public good.”

http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/06/289&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

In the U.S., the State Department seems to be marching ahead with plans to require RFID chips on passports. There have been several rounds of review and comment on proposed regulations, but privacy advocates are not yet reassured.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=175800183

RFID chips, first conceived of as inventory management devices, made the leap to living beings in the cattle industry.

“An ISO compliant RFID tag to provide each head of cattle a unique code, plus a rugged field reader that can automatically upload data into the BeefLink software on your PC.”

http://www.y-tex.com/electronic.html

Advocates of benefits to humans, such as the proposed medical use here, have been overwhelmed by ham-handed Homeland Security passport proposals. My guess is there won’t be mandates, and many people will voluntarily choose implants.

Joseph Feldman, MD, Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine, Hackensack University Medical Center, said “We look forward to using the VeriChip System to assist in patient identification and access to medical information. Particularly beneficial to patients with chronic illnesses…”

http://www.hoise.com/vmw/05/articles/vmw/LV-VM-09-05-24.html

And WalMart’s inventory control needs are going to continue to drive the state of the art, which may be where technical fixes to privacy concerns actually come from.