The Human Brain, and how it works?

Our brain is complex, but from time immemorial, we have wanted to dissect it, to know and perhaps, to feel what it is composed of?

by Victor Cherubim

There is so much talk, so much potential yet so many unforeseen problems that worry us when we think of tinkering with our brain,perhaps, rightly so?

We like to know more about the human brain and how it works?

Philosophers say thoughts don't need words."If you think words,but use words to describe your thoughts to yourself, you are doing wrong?"

Some others say, an idea can be a thought, not definable by words.Thoughts can be refined and edited without ever using words. You only need words to express the thought to others.

But when you think in thought, you may think in colours, shapes,pictures,or even textures.

Our brain is complex, but from time immemorial, we have wanted to dissect it, to know and perhaps, to feel what it is composed of?

We hear of being able to look ahead to the day when neural interface devices can enable us to develop a universal way to map our brain signals and test same in a safe,ethical and effective way.

Perhaps, brain surgery would be required to accomplish tasks what scientists now have in mind to implant ultra-thin threads or probes into a person's brain. These threads they say would be thinner than human hair. These threads would connect to chips embedded in the skull,like a string of pearls and will be capable of reading "brain information".

It is impressive to see how fast they have got to this point of research.

"It would be interesting to see how far they can go", said Prof. Andrew Jackson, Professor of Neural Interfaces at Newcastle University. He went on to say,"they will be able to read the electrical activity of a large number of brain cells,which will be implanted under the skin,as wireless implants distributed throughout the brain".

What can this implant do?

In layman's language for a start, it can help in the treatment of brain disorders,boost the bandwidth of information coming out of the brain.

Already Neuro-Surgeons from Stanford University, Calif.USA, and possibly elsewhere are working on research funded in 2019 by Elon Musk, to the tune of $100,000 million to explore all possibilities.According to the New York Times, some 90 researchers are employed with some eminent neuro surgeons involved in this study.

Musk it would seem, is hardly the only person throwing big money at this initiative, with its increasingly competitive space for investment. Columbia University, New York scientists last year translated brain waves into recognisable speech.

Other experiments too have been carried out. As early as 2016 a brain implant allowed an amputee to use their thoughts to move the individual fingers of a "prosthetic hand".

Brain machine interfaces have also been used to create mind controlled "robotic exoskeletons" and to restore a sense of touch for people with spinal injuries.

More interesting research work is also being done to "mediate brain to brain communication" in humans.

Are scientists playing God with the brain?

What is subtle is that scientists are trying to turn "sc-fi", science fiction, into reality?

We are also informed that the difficulty at this moment is approval for use in humans, including consent from the US Food and Drug Administration.

Medical ethics is at the heart of this search.

We know that human minds have been able to commune directly with the digital realm.

"Neuralink", a brain-machine interface Company, a brain child of Elon Musk, of Space Ex fame, a pioneer of so many "out of the bottle" innovations is hoping one day to treat brain disorders,like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, epilepsy and even depression.

What are the possibilities open?

Could we someday, or one day not too long in the future have the ability to transmit our thoughts directly into another person's brain, with a new form of direct communication, without the use "Cortana" or even phone or mobile calls?

Could we someday, cultivate increased intelligence and memory, without direct education?

Elon Musk is set to make an announcement about his Company "Neuralink" which designs brain computer interface technology this Friday 28 August,2020.

Will it be a breakthrough?

Will we soon be able to beat Microsoft browser technology and be able to communicate emails with our minds as well as receive messages without language.

Would this be theoretically possible, or is it even practical?

We know about mind over matter. But what is at stake, is it ethics or technology?

These and many other questions come to mind.

Seeing the patterns behind the details of living in the "Coronavirus Age", anything is possible within reason and within our realm of science.

Seeing the patterns behind the details of this new way of communication can become most useful now, helping us arrive at solutions to our problems or "new takes" on existing situations.

Let us think of both the positive and the downside of tinkering with our minds before we jump in wholesale?

Psychologists warn us that thanks to our brain's super yet unhelpful habit of looking at the stormy side of things first,our perspective is biased towards the negative.

As far as our minds are concerned, anything bad has a stronger appeal than good.

But Lord Buddha taught us in very simple words, that we need to filter our raw thought before we communicate.