The human mind is a tricky thing. If one section of the brain is kicked out of commission, another part will at least try to take over. The right and left halves of the brain are so intertwined that the whole right brain-left brain thing is really about as effective as that old taste bud map- which has been proven false, by the way.
Oh, and now we're trying to map the brain.
"WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Tuesday proposed an effort to map the brain's activity in unprecedented detail, as a step toward finding better ways to treat such conditions as Alzheimer's, autism, stroke and traumatic brain injuries.
He asked Congress to spend $100 million next year to start a project that will explore details of the brain, which contains 100 billion cells and trillions of connections.
That's a relatively small investment for the federal government — less than a fifth of what NASA spends every year just to study the sun — but it's too early to determine how Congress will react.
Obama said the so-called BRAIN Initiative could create jobs, and told scientists gathered in the White House's East Room that the research has the potential to improve the lives of billions of people worldwide.
"As humans we can identify galaxies light-years away," Obama said. "We can study particles smaller than an atom, but we still haven't unlocked the mystery of the three pounds of matter that sits between our ears."" - Source with more.
Obama has a valid point. Compared to other fields of science, we know very little about the human brain. However, out of every newsflash I've done so far, this one worries me the most.
Deeper studies of the human brain also lead to the distinct possibility of mind control - or at least manipulation the likes of which have never been seen before. We're talking the potential for mind control, here. Psychology is also used in advertising all the time; the fact that most fast food labels have red (the color that catches the human eye the most for a multitude of reasons) in them is a good example.
There is also a good chance that it won't work. A theory came up in my biology class: a system can never fully comprehend itself, or else it'll break. This could be 100 million spent to break our brains. Yep, such a nice idea. It could pave the way for cures to life-threatening diseases, or it could make the Flesh Machine become a real thing.
Oh, and now we're trying to map the brain.
"WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Tuesday proposed an effort to map the brain's activity in unprecedented detail, as a step toward finding better ways to treat such conditions as Alzheimer's, autism, stroke and traumatic brain injuries.
He asked Congress to spend $100 million next year to start a project that will explore details of the brain, which contains 100 billion cells and trillions of connections.
That's a relatively small investment for the federal government — less than a fifth of what NASA spends every year just to study the sun — but it's too early to determine how Congress will react.
Obama said the so-called BRAIN Initiative could create jobs, and told scientists gathered in the White House's East Room that the research has the potential to improve the lives of billions of people worldwide.
"As humans we can identify galaxies light-years away," Obama said. "We can study particles smaller than an atom, but we still haven't unlocked the mystery of the three pounds of matter that sits between our ears."" - Source with more.
Obama has a valid point. Compared to other fields of science, we know very little about the human brain. However, out of every newsflash I've done so far, this one worries me the most.
Deeper studies of the human brain also lead to the distinct possibility of mind control - or at least manipulation the likes of which have never been seen before. We're talking the potential for mind control, here. Psychology is also used in advertising all the time; the fact that most fast food labels have red (the color that catches the human eye the most for a multitude of reasons) in them is a good example.
There is also a good chance that it won't work. A theory came up in my biology class: a system can never fully comprehend itself, or else it'll break. This could be 100 million spent to break our brains. Yep, such a nice idea. It could pave the way for cures to life-threatening diseases, or it could make the Flesh Machine become a real thing.
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