Dr. Frankenstein’s monster is famous for having different parts of cadavers sewn together, functioning after being animated with plenty of energy from a lightning strike. Well, here on planet earth, scientists are testing cyborg rats, hoping that through these tests, they might be able to discover a method of fixing brain damage in humans in due time. The rat itself will lie motionless on a sterile, spotless table, kept alive albeit being heavily sedated. Electrodes are used to simulate its brain, resulting in waveform readings on a nearby computer display. Israel’s Tel Aviv University psychology department is at the forefront of this (some say controversial) tests, and intend to replace parts of the rat’s brains with digital equipment, turning them into a rodent-sized Robocop.
The scientists behind this work claim that progress made in this area might eventually help them to repair a damaged human brain, including a cure for Parkinson’s, as well as stroke victims. Who am I to rule out Alzheimer’s as well? Do you think this merry bunch of scientists will eventually succeed, or is our brain far too complicated and complex to decipher that human cyborgs will still remain the stuff of science fiction a decade from now?
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