Neural Dust: tiny wireless implants act as "electroceuticals" for your brain

Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2016/08/04/neural-dust-tiny-wireless-imp.html

IoT for the brain. What could possibly go wrong?

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Are those silver lines with perpendicular structure…nerves?

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That is actually cool and one of those wow we really are living in the future things.

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UC Berkeley researchers are developing “Neural Dust,” tiny wireless sensors for implanting in the brain, muscles, and intestines that could someday be used to control you

Cue up Stephenson reference

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So fucking cool and so fucking scary all at once.

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Reminds me of the things that Tony plugged into his arms in Iron Man 3.

And, for a more dystopian vision of the same thing, of The Matrix.

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  1. Sorry I can’t think today, the neural implant server’s down…

  2. Remote wipes of company data after layoffs just got scarier.

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Mesothelioma that’s also a botnet?

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Yeah, that was my thought - the Internet of People.

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Even worse, as far as I can tell—these things don’t even have firmware; they’re just electrodes activated by ultrasound. So anyone who can send an ultrasound signal at the right frequency can activate them.

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Isn’t this the plot to “Implant” by Neal Stephenson? Cyberpunk in real life again…

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#“SoylentWeb is PEOPLE!”

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What does “-ceutical” mean again?

Well, it’s not a commercial product yet, I’m sure they will build in some kind of security. But what happens when Microsoft decides it’s time to upgrade you?

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Does tin foil block ultrasound?

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it is totally safe - the frequencies are super seekreet and only the good guys know them

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Maybe they’re counting on it being difficult to get ultrasound into someone. I have no experience in this field, admittedly, but maybe it requires the transducer to be firmly in contact with the skin?

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Oh, that’s possible, I was really just going for a dumb tinfoil hat joke.

Although I have all sorts of real questions from MRIs to the various metal / bomb detectors everyone’s expected to go through these days. It seems like a decent magnetic field could stir your brain into soup.

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Obvious dystopian outcomes are obvious.

However, think about the more punkish options. Go to a dance club and the NJ is ripping out some wild sensations. Interface with an uplinked dolphin and go fishing.

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