Pentagon preps soldier telepathy push

[msbae]

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/05/pentagon-preps-soldier-telepathy-push/

I can see how this would be enormously helpful in numerous different ways but, it also makes me feel nervous. Do I really want the Feds to know enough about the way my brain works to translate my thoughts into words? That kind of power is guaranteed to be abused. DARPA sure does fund some pretty scary stuff...

 

[Brent]

Reminds me of Ghost in the Shell and how they all can talk in their heads.

Pretty scary stuff IMO

 

[All Seeing Eye]

Do we wanna be stuck in the dark ages never embracing new technology becuase it's SCARY?

Oh gosh we don't wanna be studying that because it's scary!

I'm happy to embrace all new technology.

 

[TIN_MAN]

They've been doing this for decades, read the "The Montauk Experiment" series by Peter Moon and Preston Nichols if you really want to know some scary stuff!

 

[CuttingEdge100]

Msbae,

I'd have to agree. Any benefits from this technology would be far offset by the dangers it would pose in terms of the fact that it could be used to completely eliminate privacy.

It is also mentioned in the link technology that would be pertainent to mind-control.

This is extremely dangerous I think, and I think it would be smart to contact groups like the EFF and ACLU. The EFF specializes in privacy in the technological age...


Tachyon Shield,

Yes some fear is irrational. But there are times that things seem scary because they actually are dangerous.

If I saw a guy takes a gun, chambers a round, and points it at my head telling me to say my prayers, I'd be pretty scared, as his actions and statements suggests he's going to blow my brains out.

It is my opinion that some technology is useful and highly practical, others can actually be quite dangerous and more trouble than worth. This is an example of this


CuttingEdge100

 

[Mr. B]

SOP FTW!

 

[Brent]

Do we wanna be stuck in the dark ages never embracing new technology becuase it's SCARY?

Oh gosh we don't wanna be studying that because it's scary!

I'm happy to embrace all new technology.

Some technology we should not embrace, it can be used for too foul a purpose.

 

[msbae]

Msbae,

I'd have to agree. Any benefits from this technology would be far offset by the dangers it would pose in terms of the fact that it could be used to completely eliminate privacy.

Which is what concerns me here. It could be used to help an unscrupulous leader make himself Dictator, declaring any kind of dissent to be a thought crime.

SOP FTW!

What?

Do we wanna be stuck in the dark ages never embracing new technology becuase it's SCARY?

Oh gosh we don't wanna be studying that because it's scary!

I'm happy to embrace all new technology.

Some technology we should not embrace, it can be used for too foul a purpose.

I am forced to side with Brent here. Technology is not an answer to all problems Tachyon, merely a means towards an end.

 

[Mr. B]

SOP FTW!

What?

http://metalgear.wikia.com/wiki/SOP

 

[Meredith]

Reminds me of Ghost in the Shell and how they all can talk in their heads.

Pretty scary stuff IMO

Less scary if it could be applied to sopping people from talking on cell phones.

 

[CuttingEdge100]

Brent,

Some technology we should not embrace, it can be used for too foul a purpose.

I'd have to agree.


Msbae,

Which is what concerns me here. It could be used to help an unscrupulous leader make himself Dictator, declaring any kind of dissent to be a thought crime.

That's correct. Not only that, if he had that kind of technology at his disposal, he could never be stopped...


Meredith,

Less scary if it could be applied to sopping people from talking on cell phones.

Trust me, this benefit would be easily offset by the numerous problems this could cause...


CuttingEdge100

 

[Lindley]

It's just another application of existing pattern recognition algorithms, and clearly we already know how to detect these signals.

The only thing that makes this a DARPA-hard project is getting the system working in a low-power, compact chip which doesn't require the soldier to carry around a laptop on his head.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

Some technology we should not embrace, it can be used for too foul a purpose.

I am forced to side with Brent here. Technology is not an answer to all problems Tachyon, merely a means towards an end.

A Kitchen knife can be used for a foul purpose too but I still need it to eat with and slice food up with.
Any technology can be used for a "foul purpose", if we decided not to embrace technology cos it can be used for a foul purpose we'd still be cavemen.

 

[Deks]

You do realize that any attempt at mental control would also depend on allowing the recipient individual to be submissive to the external output.

Any sufficiently developed mental technique can be helpful in prevention of 'mind-reading' and similar aspects involving telepathy.
I would surmise that people who don't perform mental exercises (such as calming their own thoughts and deep focus on nothing) would be the most vulnerable for example should the technology in question be abused by someone.

If you can interpret the neural signals or thoughts of the individual, you can basically interpret the superficial thoughts (or what they are thinking at that specific time).
They would have to develop technology which would be more invasive in order to fully access memories and thoughts with the information they want and not just the superficial ones.
And even then, other mental exercises could be developed to at the very least minimize such invasive intrusion ... at least I think it should be possible when fully conscious (in an unconscious state though it might be a different story).

 

[msbae]

A Kitchen knife can be used for a foul purpose too but I still need it to eat with and slice food up with.
Any technology can be used for a "foul purpose", if we decided not to embrace technology cos it can be used for a foul purpose we'd still be cavemen.

No Shit? Really? [/sarcasm]

I love Technology more than all of you combined. That being said, I don't want it in my head. That is my private place where I'm allowed to do whatever I want. That place is sacred. Besides, no one who values their current worldview and/or sanity should want to look inside other people's heads anyway.

 

[Marc]

A Kitchen knife can be used for a foul purpose too but I still need it to eat with and slice food up with.
Any technology can be used for a "foul purpose", if we decided not to embrace technology cos it can be used for a foul purpose we'd still be cavemen.

No Shit? Really? [/sarcasm]

I love Technology more than all of you combined. That being said, I don't want it in my head. That is my private place where I'm allowed to do whatever I want. That place is sacred. Besides, no one who values their current worldview and/or sanity should want to look inside other people's heads anyway.

Hasn't this sort of thing been around for the better part of60 years? The programs came under the concept of remote viewing with the both the CIA and KGB trying them with the aim of having agents who could read the minds of important people on the otherside from a distance.

I'm sure that some would argue for it from law & order point of view (Demolished Man anyone?)

 

[All Seeing Eye]

A Kitchen knife can be used for a foul purpose too but I still need it to eat with and slice food up with.
Any technology can be used for a "foul purpose", if we decided not to embrace technology cos it can be used for a foul purpose we'd still be cavemen.

No Shit? Really? [/sarcasm]

I'm not quite sure what your point is?

 

[msbae]

A Kitchen knife can be used for a foul purpose too but I still need it to eat with and slice food up with.
Any technology can be used for a "foul purpose", if we decided not to embrace technology cos it can be used for a foul purpose we'd still be cavemen.

No Shit? Really? [/sarcasm]

I love Technology more than all of you combined. That being said, I don't want it in my head. That is my private place where I'm allowed to do whatever I want. That place is sacred. Besides, no one who values their current worldview and/or sanity should want to look inside other people's heads anyway.

Hasn't this sort of thing been around for the better part of60 years? The programs came under the concept of remote viewing with the both the CIA and KGB trying them with the aim of having agents who could read the minds of important people on the otherside from a distance.

I'm sure that some would argue for it from law & order point of view (Demolished Man anyone?)

There were rumors of the spooks trying to use ESP but, it didn't work very well.

A Kitchen knife can be used for a foul purpose too but I still need it to eat with and slice food up with.
Any technology can be used for a "foul purpose", if we decided not to embrace technology cos it can be used for a foul purpose we'd still be cavemen.

No Shit? Really? [/sarcasm]

I'm not quite sure what your point is?

I'm aware that virtually any technology can be used for 'foul purposes.' This one we're discussing though, has nothing but foul purposes. That's why I'm concerned. I don't want people in my head and you don't want to be there, either.

 

[CuttingEdge100]

Lindley,

It's just another application of existing pattern recognition algorithms, and clearly we already know how to detect these signals.

Are you saying that we have the ability to completely read people's minds already? Last I heard we fMRI's were getting increasingly accurate, and I'm aware of a device that uses IR/Near-IR light as well, but I was under the impression that the capability you described was a few years away...


Msbae,

I'm aware that virtually any technology can be used for 'foul purposes.' This one we're discussing though, has nothing but foul purposes. That's why I'm concerned.

Very well said.


CuttingEdge100

 

[tharpdevenport]

A kitchen knife can't be used to control my brain, nor is it in the hands of the government.

Jsut because something is invented, it doesn't mean we need it or have to embrace it. There isn't a need for everything that comes down the mental pooper.