Researchers funded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency have figured out how to literally control a fish's movement through the water. Using a system of electrodes implanted in a dogfish, they have stimulated the fish's brain to fool it into thinking it smells something in one particular direction, so it turns that direction to see what it is. This works remarkably well, so the Navy is hoping that it can expand the technology further.

 

One has to wonder about the implications of this. Could it be expanded to work on other animals--even humans? We'll have to see.

 

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18925416.300

Brain computer interfaces are going to be insane

Indeed. We've already figured out how to get a guy to control a mouse on a computer with his thoughts--now all we need to do is find out how to extract sensory information out of the brain.

Who'da thunk it, a science that actually disturbs me...

Could this be used to keep sharks away from popular beaches? I hear in South Africa they have some mean bull sharks.

Sharks are highly sensitive to electricity in the water. Systems have been developed which periodically put out electrical pulses to repel sharks:

 

http://www.shark.co.za/repel.htm

Could this be used to keep sharks away from popular beaches? I hear in South Africa they have some mean bull sharks.

You'd have to implant it into all of the sharks.

I was thinking more alongs the lines of the elecritical pulses. Sounds like it's already been done.

Dolphins have already been used as marine surveillance mediums during the gulf war.

Indeed. We've already figured out how to get a guy to control a mouse on a computer with his thoughts--now all we need to do is find out how to extract sensory information out of the brain.

 

A computer mouse?? Hell, I saw a guy control the steering wheel on his boat with his mind and a military grade flight simulator on Scientific American fronteirs... what a great show.

 

(The show is available online, I'll try and locate the link)

Did not Volta get there first with some frogs legs? Who pinched his idea then?

 

Have not people with paraplegic type disabilities been helped to regain some movement through brain implanted electrodes.

 

The steady step by step advancement of science, the way it should be. Nice.