8 Advancements In Brain Science Straight Out of Science Fiction (4 of 5)

3. Prosthetic Brain

Over the past few decades, science has made notable advances when it comes to replacing parts of our body. People frequently use prosthetic limbs, and experts predict that “human grade” prosthetic eyes will become a reality in less than two decades. But are we ready for prosthetic brains? Not any time soon, but it’s already been shown to be theoretically possible in lab rats. In one study, scientists simulated a traumatic brain injury by cutting off communication between areas of a rat’s brain and then fitting them with a neural prosthesis. By two weeks, they had regained full brain function. It is hoped that one day this discovery will lead to the creation of brain prosthetics to help humans who are suffering from stroke or brain injury. 

2. Memory Trickery

When a rat is introduced to a new sound and then receives a treat or a shock, its brain gradually conditions itself to associate that sound with reward or punishment. However, researchers at UC-Irvine bypassed this process by playing a specific tone and generating a response from it without the rats previously forming memories associated with that sound. They accomplished their goal by artificially stimulating the part of the brain that releases acetylcholine, a chemical that helps form new memories, as they played the tone. A day later, they played the tone again, and the rats were responsive even though the memories it was connected to were completely artificial. This experiment is just a small step, but one day we might be able to develop a way to acquire new knowledge on demand by merely stimulating a particular part of our brain.