Brain Augmentation

[AnimeFan188]

HRL receives DARPA award to STAMP learning into
the brain with accelerated learning from low current brain
stimulation:

"What if low-current electrical brain stimulation could be used to
accelerate learning and dramatically reduce training time and costs? The
Biological Technologies Office (BTO) of the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded HRL Laboratories, LLC, funding for
a two-year project in the RAM Replay program to develop a man-portable
system to boost learning during waking and memory consolidation during
sleep, thereby increasing a person's ability to quickly integrate and
accurately recall information."

See:

http://nextbigfuture.com/2016/05/hrl...-to-stamp.html

[AnimeFan188]

Elon Musk: Become cyborgs or risk humans being
turned into robots' pets:

"Musk said that as artificial intelligence advances, people will need to
augment their brain power with digital technology to prevent them
becoming irrelevant.

He backed the idea of a “neural lace” – a new electronic layer of the
brain that would allow us to instantly access online information and
greatly improve cognitive powers by tapping into artificial intelligence."

See:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolog...d-into-robots/

[AnimeFan188]

Humans With Amplified Intelligence Could Be
More Powerful Than AI:

"With much of our attention focused the rise of advanced artificial
intelligence, few consider the potential for radically amplified human
intelligence (IA). It’s an open question as to which will come first, but
a technologically boosted brain could be just as powerful — and just as
dangerous – as AI.

As a species, we’ve been amplifying our brains for millennia. Or at
least we’ve tried to. Looking to overcome our cognitive limitations,
humans have employed everything from writing, language, and
meditative techniques straight through to today’s nootropics. But none
of these compare to what’s in store."

See:

http://io9.gizmodo.com/humans-with-a...werf-509309984

[MrTerrorist]

So basically this guy.

YouTube

https://youtu.be/2NgmhDY-Na8

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

[AnimeFan188]

We're about to become more intelligent
than at any other point in human history:

"Once we learn how hundreds (or more) of individual genetic traits
interact to code for intelligence, we might be able to select for those
traits. Some researchers think we might even be able to use new
genetic editing tools to flip all those switches in an "optimal for
intelligence" direction. If that's the case, even the greatest intellects in
history could potentially be given far more to work with.

"Gauss or von Neumann, they didn't have any huge or debilitating
problems, but they were still carrying many [genetic] variants of the
suboptimal type [for intelligence]," says Hsu. "Surely some of those
variants could be flipped without causing them to get [a genetic
disease]."

If we can do that, we might have individuals that are whole levels of
intelligence above any human that's ever existed, able to figure out
ways to exceed whatever mental limits we once thought humans had."


"Provided the variants for intelligence can be figured out and the
genetic editing tools sufficiently refined (no small matter, in either
case), Hsu thinks there's an incredible potential for improvement. He's
written for the science magazine Nautilus that his calculations from the
work at BGI indicate a potential for "very roughly, about 100 standard
deviations of improvement, corresponding to an IQ of over 1,000.""

See:

http://www.techinsider.io/how-to-gen...ligence-2016-6

[AnimeFan188]

Elon Musk says that humans must have a high bandwidth
cyborg connection to computers to remain relevant in the
age of Artificial Intelligence:

"Elon Musk says humans need to merge with machines to become a sort of cyborg.
"Over time I think we will probably see a closer merger of biological intelligence and
digital intelligence," Musk told an audience at the World Government Summit in Dubai,
where he also launched Tesla in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

"It's mostly about the bandwidth, the speed of the connection between your brain and
the digital version of yourself, particularly output."

Musk explained what he meant by saying that computers can communicate at "a trillion
bits per second", while humans, whose main communication method is typing with their
fingers via a mobile device, can do about 10 bits per second.

In an age when AI threatens to become widespread, humans would be useless, so
there's a need to merge with machines, according to Musk."

See:

http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/02...must-have.html

[AnimeFan188]

Several tech billionaires are openly or secretely funding
broadband mind computer interfacing projects:

"Last year Bryan Johnson, founder of the online payments company Braintree, starting
making news when he threw $100 million behind Kernel, a startup he founded to enhance
human intelligence by developing brain implants capable of linking people’s thoughts to
computers.

Johnson isn’t alone in believing that “neurotechnology” could be the next big thing. To
many in Silicon Valley, the brain looks like an unconquered frontier whose importance
dwarfs any achievement made in computing or the Web."

See:

http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/03...openly-or.html

[Key Board]

I'm skeptical

organic memory is different than digital memory

we don't store memory in 1 and 0

[Ithekro]

Computer companies are finding ways to make computers store data in more states than just 1 and 0. They have come up with states that are between 1 and 0.

[Key Board]

but have they came up with an equivalent to how neurons build memory

[MrTerrorist]

Elon Musk launches Neuralink, a venture to merge the human brain with AI

[AnimeFan188]

'Not a random idea factory': Why Facebook says its
brain sensors are closer than you think:

"Brain scanning and skin sensors sound like the stuff of science fiction.

And Facebook's recently announced efforts to create this technology could easily be
dismissed by cynics as a public relations stunt by a large company looking to prove its
innovation bona fides.

But the 60 scientists and engineers working at Facebook's "Building 8" — as the
skunkworks hardware lab is known — are already making detailed plans for this
sci-fi-like future.

Within 18 months, Building 8 hopes to have a working prototype of a brain sensor
capable of typing 100 words a minute. And the group is drawing up plans to form a
panel to examine the ethical implications of brain scanning."

See:

http://www.businessinsider.com/faceb...-and-ar-2017-4

[AnimeFan188]

Silicon Valley’s Latest Craze: Brain Tech:

"Silicon Valley’s biggest influencers want to get inside your head. Over the past year, four
leading figures have announced plans to make gadgets that will either nestle into the fleshy
folds of your brain or sit atop your head to read your thoughts from the outside.

The proposed hardware and applications are varied, but all signify ambitious—even
audacious—undertakings. Whether working on medical devices to fix a neural deficiency or
consumer gizmos to augment normal brainpower, each of the four Valley visionaries
promises to have something ready for the market in just a few short years."

See:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/biomedical/...aze-brain-tech

[AnimeFan188]

DARPA Brain Stimulation can accelerate learning by
40%, know why it works, could be common by 2023:

"HRL Laboratories, LLC, researchers have determined how non-invasive transcranial
direct current stimulation (tDCS) could increase performance of associative learning. The
researchers found that when applied to the prefrontal cortex, tDCS affects a wide
portion of the brain, causing changes in functional connectivity between different brain
areas that increased learning speed in macaques.

They can now target stimulation, intervening only at critical points, when memory
formation is most likely to occur. “We’re replicating monkey experiment with stimulation
occurring only for one second” he said, “just when it gets the reward.” That’s when the
association is made. They will eventually seek out FDA approval for a particular device.
He believes that in 5-10 years, use of this technology will be widespread."

See:

https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/1...n-by-2023.html

[Thomppson]

Interesting topic. I didn't know this before

[AnimeFan188]

AFRL finds brain stimulation technology boosts
multi-tasking performance:

"The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has disclosed study results on the effects
of transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) on special forces operators and
machine-facing personnel, finding the technologies can indeed increase performance for
certain tasks.

The evaluation, which featured Halo Neuroscience’s Halo Sport TDCS headset, was
conducted by AFRL on 8 May 2018 with the aim of comparing the effects of TDCS on
operators’ multi-tasking capabilities by comparing the input of Electroencephalography
(EEG) electrodes with Halo Sport technology as well as a ‘null condition’ control. Results
from the evaluation were revealed to Jane’s in August."


"Five groups of fifteen personnel were tasked to conduct system monitoring, targeting,
resource management, and communications serials during the test phase, with Halo
Sport wearers benefiting from a 10% increase in throughput versus ‘null condition’
wearers. Differences between Halo Sport and EEG technology were marginal and AFRL
said excitement of the ‘left primary motor cortex’ and ‘inhibition of the right motor
cortex’ resulted in superior multi-tasking performance."

See:

https://www.janes.com/article/82580/...ng-performance

[AnimeFan188]

Elon Musk Announces Plan to 'Merge' Human Brains With AI:

"Elon Musk announced late Tuesday night that the final goal of Neuralink, his brain-
machine interface startup, is to allow humans to “achieve a symbiosis with artificial
intelligence,” and that by “merging with AI,” humans will be able to keep up with AI.
Musk plans to begin human trials on an early version of Neuralink intended to treat
brain injuries next year.

“Ultimately we can do a full brain machine interface,” Musk said in an announcement
that was widely livestreamed. “This is going to sound pretty weird. Ultimately we can
achieve a symbiosis with artificial intelligence. This is not a mandatory thing, this is
something you can choose to have if you want. This is going to be really important at
a civilization-level scale. Even in a benign AI scenario, we will be left behind. With a
high-bandwidth brain machine interface we can go along for the ride and have the
option of merging with AI.”"

See:

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/7...brains-with-ai

[AnimeFan188]

A humorous look at brain augmentation:


https://www.gocomics.com/brewsterrockit/2020/09/21

https://www.gocomics.com/brewsterrockit/2020/09/22

https://www.gocomics.com/brewsterrockit/2020/09/23

https://www.gocomics.com/brewsterrockit/2020/09/24

https://www.gocomics.com/brewsterrockit/2020/09/25

https://www.gocomics.com/brewsterrockit/2020/09/26

[AnimeFan188]

Researchers Merge AI with Brain Stimulation to Dramatically Boost
Mental Function

"Researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School working with specialists
from Massachusetts General Hospital have demonstrated that a combination of artificial
intelligence and brain stimulation can dramatically improve a number of mental functions.
This novel approach may result in breakthrough treatments for people suffering from a
wide range of severe mental illnesses."

See:

https://thedebrief.org/brain-stimula...ntal-function/

[AnimeFan188]

We Could Hack Our Brains to Become Better, More Moral People

"Would you ever consider implanting a “virtues control panel” inside your brain, one that
could turn you into a fairer and more compassionate person? Granted, you’d have to
let scientists send electrical currents down your brain’s neurons for about ten minutes
each day, or consent to having a brain chip embedded inside your head. Take all the
time you need to think it through, but know that the future is already here: in the last
two decades, neuroscientists have consistently tampered with specific structures of our
brain to gauge the effect on our moral code.

“A part of the argument relies on what’s called brain lateralization,” James J. Hughes
—associate provost for the University of Massachusetts in Boston, and executive
director of the university’s techno-progressive think tank, Institute for Ethics and
Emerging Technologies—tells Popular Mechanics.

Brain lateralization is the view that different parts of the brain perform different
functions; by turning up or turning down activity in those different sections, we can
influence the way we think, feel, and behave, scientists believe. It’s this property of the
brain that neuromodulation, the delivery of electrical or pharmaceutical agents
specifically to an area of the body to affect or change nerves, could exploit to bring
about a more morally and cognitively enhanced humanity. Hughes explains this concept
in-depth in a chapter in the book Policy, Identity, and Neurotechnology: The Neuroethics
of Brain‐Computer Interfaces."

See:

https://www.popularmechanics.com/sci...neuromorality/