“…I mean Phinder, could you dial your uncle’s telephone number” (translated from Punjabi).
Before the “…I mean Phinder”, my grandmother mentioned the names of my 4 other cousins.
Our ability to recall what we’ve ‘recorded’ in our memory generally deteriorates during the body’s natural ageing process.
My proposal (not to be tested on my gran – I prefer keeping her brain active by playing connect-4, teaching her Portuguese and how to send emails to her sons at work) stick a chip in their brain!
It may sound like a wacky idea from a James Bond movie but something similar has been implemented already. I read an article a little while ago about a man was paralysed after a knife attack. He was unable to move any of limbs from the neck down. A chip was inserted into his brain that was connected and able to control an artificial limb.
During tests, he was successfully able to move the artificial limb, not with full accuracy, but I think even this basic movement is rather impressive.
So this is what we do…
The area of the brain that is activated when we want to store an ‘object’ in our memory, we insert a chip. This chip activates a photo camera that is placed, lets say, in a necklace (for comical purposes, I will imagine it is placed in between the eyes). Whenever the chip detects some signal in a particular area of the brain, it takes a photo. So when Gran, is at the supermarket, and forgets whether or not there were Murray Mints in the drawer at home, she simply recalls what she saw on her mobile phone!
Here’s a CNN report that discusses some technology used to help paralysed patients:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/04/10/cybernetics.profile/
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2 comments:
Great idea Phinder, this would be a great way for elderly people to improve their memory.
The only difficulty I can see is actually persuading someone like Maureen to have this chip inserted into her brain! I can imagine she would be very scared!
When I was backpacking through Eastern Europe, I found myself in the middle of a riot, and a passer by once said to me "You are scareddddd of the... People". It was not fear of other people, but of the 'Unknown', im sure Maureen would relate to this... the Unknown of what could happen with an operation, and a chip inserted into her brain.
Maybe inserting the chip in her shoulder, which harbours many nerve receptors in the body. Maureen has a chip on her shoulder.... rumour!
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