I posted a few months ago on Zach Lynch‘s blog on practical developments in neuroscience and the emergence of a neurosociety. I believe that we are all just a bunch of chemical reactions and that brain, heart, and soul are all just about neuroscience. I find topics like neuroeconomics facinating. This stuff doesn’t just define us; it is us.
So I have enjoyed two recent posts by Chris Yeh. The first one links to this article from nature.com which discusses a paralyzed man who can now send email and watch TV all through thoughts because of an implanted brain chip that is connected directly to neurons. It won’t be long before such chips are not singular to disabled people.
Chris’ second outlines his prediction that “Mankind will achieve physical immortality in my lifetime” (he’s 30). He includes some great links that outline where science is at in this respect. If I live to 2080, probable barring some unexpected event, I wonder how powerful personal computers will be and if, as Chris suggests, we all will be creating “virtual worlds” and if we will be running on electronic circuit boards instead of biological neurons.
Have you ever given any thought to “cryonics” — the process where you’re preserved at liquid nitrogen temperatures at death in the technological hope of future reanimation?
That’s the “classic” immortality mechanism, a la Austin Powers. I don’t think this is the future, no.
Check out this introduction article on Neuroeconomics:
http://www.articleworld.org/Neuroeconomics