13 replies to this topic

[bacopa]

As of now it seems the only concrete way to enhance cognition via outside sources is with Nootropics and other non-noot supplements. But there is little, to no talk, on radical ways in the future to get much smarter. I've heard a few vague ideas tossed around about nanochips and I'm sure there will be psychotropic drugs in the future that will enhance mental ability. But this is all I know for now. Does anyone else now of any theories besides nanochips for mental augmentation? This thread is an attempt at gathering such theories, as I never am able to explain to people about these things very well.

[Cyberbrain]

While technology is progressing very fast, we still know very little about the brain in order to enhance mentality, intelligence, etc significantly.

It will be 60-80 years before noticeable cognitive enhancements through biochips, nanotech, etc, begins to become a reality (I base this on my engineering intuition, not any sources).

However, we do have the potential to achieve the singularity and defeat aging in our life time imo, which I think is extremely important so that we may live long enough to become augmented and thus live forever

But I can't wait until the day, like Kurzweil said, that you can go to your local 7-11 or something and you buy the latest Ph.D. download for your brain from the bargain bin

[bacopa]

Yeah, I thought there was only vague speculation at this time. Another thing a lot of people seem to be having trouble with is the idea that a longer life will allow for more progress in technologies. People seem to think, for some reason, that progress will never get to that point. It's absurd what some people believe!

[Reno]

Academics are afraid to make predictions. So much of what nanotechnology can potentially do is labeled science fiction today. Those that discuss it are afraid of losing legitimacy for personal theory and research by being categorized as such.

Personally, If singularity is at most 40 years away then structural augmentation of the brain is near the same. I'm not saying that brain augmentation depends on singularity, but I am saying that once singularity arrives research in all areas of science will advance in an inhuman rate.

I think the first brain repair will come by repairing arteries that have been damaged by stroke. After we discover ways of repairing damaged areas of the brain, then we can discuss restructuring areas of the brain. We have to know how it works before we can change it.

Edited by bobscrachy, 11 July 2009 - 09:06 PM.

[Futurist1000]

Maybe use nano ultrasound transducers that can be implanted atop the head. Then you could selectively alter brain activity by ultrasonic neuromodulation. This might allow for an external device to be able to non-invasively communicate with your brain. See powerpoint slides for some potential future applications of ultrasound (25 MB).

So let's say you develop an external computing device that modifies neural activity using ultrasound. You could have the external neural device evolve over time and learn with the brain. So that way it would get increasingly efficient at altering brain activity. Perhaps the ultrasound could allow for a "two-way" communication as well. Ultrasound might be able to read brain signals and also manipulate them at the same time. I'm not quite sure how accurate ultrasound could be though in brain targeting. So this is highly speculative. It seems possible that we will see some brain technology based on ultrasound within 5-10 years.

Edited by Futurist1000, 12 July 2009 - 01:23 AM.

[caston]

But I can't wait until the day, like Kurzweil said, that you can go to your local 7-11 or something and you buy the latest Ph.D. download for your brain from the bargain bin

Will there be any likely conflicts between that and the law degree you got down at Costco?

[bacopa]

Will there be any likely conflicts between that and the law degree you got down at Costco?

hehehe hohoho hahaha

[Cyberbrain]

Will there be any likely conflicts between that and the law degree you got down at Costco?

lmfao!

But in all seriousness Costco is a good law school, my lawyer went there

[Heliotrope]

Will there be any likely conflicts between that and the law degree you got down at Costco?

when everyone has 1,000 Ph.Ds , will their brain explode, run out of space?


I prefer to buy my Ph.D downloads from Harvard, the legit one. Will there be illegal Ph.D file sharing? Free downloads of A Million PhDs to choose from

[forever freedom]

when everyone has 1,000 Ph.Ds , will their brain explode, run out of space?

Just buy a better brain HD or whatever equivalent to HD we'll have then

I prefer to buy my Ph.D downloads from Harvard, the legit one. Will there be illegal Ph.D file sharing? Free downloads of A Million PhDs to choose from

That'd be fun. I keep saying over and over, those will be crazy and the most exciting times ever. I only hope to live long enough to be there.

[bacopa]

IN the year 3000!...In the year 3000....(reference to Conan)

[Reno]

That'd be fun. I keep saying over and over, those will be crazy and the most exciting times ever. I only hope to live long enough to be there.

....or, the most dangerous. Getting a graduate or postgrad degree isn't just about mastering one subject it's about being exposed to many. A person in college gets exposed to hundreds of ideas which in theory helps train them to be better able to make informed decisions. Unleashing this sort of expertise on people that haven't had the social maturity to handle it would be like handing over hydrogen bomb technology to north korea or iran.

[Heliotrope]

so what do ya think the memory capacity is? think we ever gonna need to upgrade memory? Got slot for one more disk?

[revenant]

I believe it may someday be possible through development of nanomachines to enhance the time it takes for axons to become myelinated with lecithin. This will fascilitate nerve fibers and nodes to develop more rapidly theryby greatly speeding up learning and motor memory (examples: learning a language or how to play an insturment ), as well as imporving recovery time from traumatic brain injury and possibly offer treatments for degenerative brain diseases.