|
Remote Controlled Rats |
Remote controlling animals has always been a dream, but due
to recent discoveries and technology, that dream is a reality.
Recently, scientists have been able to control rats’ movements
(to an extent) by using miniature backpacks that have tubes which plug
into the animals’ brains. The
rats receive signals from the scientist via a laptop computer that tells
them to move in a certain direction.
Electrodes in the rats’ brains receive the signals, and the
back-packs supply the power. The
rats are not harmed in any way (they are rewarded), but in fact they are
trained to follow directions. The
directions are simple, such as turn left, turn right, go, stop and climb. When the rats carry out an order they are rewarded by having
the pleasure center of their brains stimulated.
Since the rats are stupid animals that act mostly on
instinct, they have no reason to rebel and are simply trained to be
ordered around around. Eventually
technology will advance and more intelligent animals (including humans)
could be controlled by the same method.
However, some people might rebel against it or say it is not right
(mostly moral fanatics) and some will probably just rebel because they
can. If this technology is
ever used on humans it will most likely start as a means to control
students. But “rewarding”
people for following commands won’t be enough.
Some people will find a way to stimulate the pleasure part of the
brain some other way to the same extent (or maybe more).
When this happens, a form of punishment may be included and the
machine will become more of an issue.
The procedure used on the rats does not use control, force,
punishment, or brainwashing. So
the saying “remote-controlled” does not apply, and is not true,
because there is no direct control. Hopefully
the method won’t change and the technology will only be used on rats.
If they improved this technology to punish rather than reward, and
if it were mass produced and got in the wrong hands (a power-mad
dictator), a totalitarianism could be formed.