Scientists successfully link two rat brains.
A team of research scientists from Duke University working together with scientists in Brazil has successfully connected the brains of two rats in a bizarre experiment.
They have been able to link the brains so that when one of the rats pushes a lever, the other one usually does the same movement.
This is the first time in history that functioning animal brains have been connected. Interestingly, the rats were in different parts of the world and the brain signals were sent over an internet connection.
A neuroscientist from the University of Pittsburgh said the experiment was “very simplistic” and that the rat only responded to the brain activity of the other rat 7 out of ten times, when odds dictate that the rat would push the right lever 5 out of ten times anyway.
Doctor Miguel Nicolelis, one of the neuroscientists from Duke University who worked on the project, was in charge of another experiment where he was able to connect the brain of a monkey to a robot.
The monkey’s thoughts made the robot move.
First in 2003, the monkey’s thoughts controlled a robotic arm, and then in 2008, the monkey was able to make the robot walk on a treadmill.
What do you think about these kinds of brain experiments?