DIGI-BRAINS: A FANTASY, AN OPPORTUNITY OR A THREAT?

From the days of alchemy, the human curiosity has pursued different methods of uncovering the mysteries of nature. Though on many occasions, the desired goals were never achieved, the byproducts of their pursuits on the highway of their curiosity did throw out newer meanings to life, its context, its environment and its relationships. The humans never hesitated to explore all domains of knowledge either to learn or to exercise their authority. Their intent to discover the Elixir de Life still has not paid its full dividends, but certainly has helped in understanding the organics of life and to find methods that would secure its safety, longevity and make meaningful interventions for remediation of challenges as when they occurred.

The recent researches in neuro-cognitive sciences to understand the way the human brain is structured and works has brought awe- inspiring results. Studies from pre-natal cognitive learning to several of the functions of the human brain and its associates have helped in understanding cognition, emotion, attention, stimuli-response mechanisms and the human behaviour articulated through multi-sensory inputs. However, in all these researches fantasies step in, we do identify possibilities both for good and otherwise.  Researches are also underway to find the role of consciousness in the context of the relationship of the brain and the mind. Quoting Dr. Gilbert, a Harvard psychologist, Michio Kaku reports in his book “ The greatest achievement of the human brain is its ability to imagine objects and episodes that do not exist in the realm of the real and it is this ability that allows us to think about the future.”

Digi-brains is yet another area, where there appears to be extensive research is ongoing in an effort to integrate technology with the way the brain functions in order to give mentor, monitor, direct and modify the way the human brain functions. Digital intervention in neural architecture to enhance the power of memory, to increase select sensitivities, to transfer information and to direct the course of brain behaviour are already on way and certainly some path-breaking discoveries have been made. On the face of it, it indeed appears as a fantasy to intervene with the natural human thought and emotional dynamics and looks like reading some pages of scientific fiction. Questions are raised about the need for such research fantasies and its ethical and unpredictable results that might impact the human culture and its legacy. But such questions don’t appear to be any roadblock to the speed and magnitude of research in this field.

Michio Kaku, in his book “The Power of Mind” has thrown light on a number of such efforts. To cite a few, the digital intervention to the pathways of memory to enhance its level as one would do with any piece of hardware seems to be gaining ground. On a positive side, this might be a boon to number of people who suffer memory loss or other concerns dealing with memory to give them a fresh lease of life to be integral part of the social domains of their fellow beings. Digital interventions to neural networks related to areas that synthesize vision, colour, sound and sensory perceptions appear to have given some positive results to correct, facilitate and re-engineer their functions might help in meeting the medical needs of a number of people who suffer due to some latent defects. Efforts also have been made to examine the role of implanted micro-chips in receiving information and learning. However, a number of issues are likely to arise in such experiments as how they would impact the personal and social behaviour of those subjects. The possibility of “Brain Net” is also being explored according to some research revelations.

Use of implanted micro-chips in the brains of different subjects to find out whether collective thinking is possible or whether one subject could influence the thinking and the behaviour of another subject according to their will has also been experimented. Even though this could be a viable fantasy, the question raises whether it is an opportunity to the next level of human corporate intelligence or a threat to the foundations of human dignity, personal propriety and the glory of uniqueness.     

          

Concepts like “Telepathic helmets” “Brain-machine interfaces” “Typing with the mind” to transfer information and communication could make us fantasize moving like aliens in our native land. But, several of the appliances we use today and whom we have integrated into our lifestyles do suggest that the society absorbs many of these changes either silently or with a sour note. Well, the social psychologists might have a field day deliberating on the futuristic of the emergent society.

The next generation of human lives might possibly be wanting to construct an El-Dorado with all these technological intervention to human hardware and software. But, how these changes will be

put into use – whether for benefit or advancement – or for negative purposes, is anybody’s guess.

When Thomas Alva Edison discovered the Aerophone, one of the newspapers came with an editorial which said “Mr. Edison, the inventor or phonograph has committed a further outrage on public privacy – if the term is permissible – by inventing an instrument which he is pleased to call Aerophone.” It further adds “Men and women will flee from civilization -and seek silence in the forest relief from the roar of countless aerophones.”  Historically, all new inventions and discoveries have been under public scrutiny in an exhaustively fear dominated world. Such apprehensions have never stopped global curiosity to unravel the mysteries of nature. It has only gained momentum. Thus, it is evident that challenges to change and established and tamed cultural beliefs are historical and the trend is true for all dynamic civilizations.

Whether the Digi-brains will be a reality, whether they are exclusively experimental fantasy or they have limited utility as a redressal mechanism or whether they would impact ‘the mass mind’ of the future humans – one cannot predict and we need to keep the fingers crossed.

Digi-brains: A fantasy, an opportunity or a threat? – Next few decades have a lot to debate.