Robo-rats are just ordinary rats — with something extra. Scientists have implanted electrodes both into their sensor-motoric brain parts and into their lust-rewarding brain parts. It empowers the scientists to manipulate rat behavior via a remote control that sends tiny electric signals to the rat’s brain. The scientists can let the rat turn left, or right or straight on. They can also let the rat climb a ladder. They even gently force — without any force — the rat to do things they naturally dislike; jumping from substantial heights, for instance. DARPA, the research leg of the USA Ministry of Defense is highly interested. Future robo-rats will detect people under debris after an earthquake, will detonate landmines, will map tunnel caves.

Animal protection organizations protest. But have lost the case as the research leader argued convincingly that during the experiments the rats have the time of their lives: The consequence of electronic signals titillating their brains.

It is going to work with people too. Once again DARPA is interested. One in ten USA soldiers returning from the Middle East suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Suppose a tiny chip would have been implanted in their brains that tempers the tsunami of electric brain signals when they are under fire. Wouldn’t that prevent lots of sorrow afterwards? Hadassah Hospital, Jerusalem gives patients suffering from acute depression a brain implant that de-activates (with soft electric signal streaming) the brain parts that cause the depression. It works.

This kind of science is still in its infancy. But will conquer the future. It lays the foundation for cyborg-soldiers that when being optimally ‘beamed’ electronically, will transform into hyper-concentrated fighting machines. They will be less afraid as well. Also for you, my reader, opportunities abound. You are following a foreign language course, but don’t you feel more like spending time brainlessly on the couch in front of TV? With the right brain software you are turning your favorite choice 180 degrees — and even manage to enjoy the grammar on offer. When a brain implant is a bridge too far for you, please, try a brain helmet you can put on and off your head as you wish. The results will be the same.

Free will is becoming a thing of the past. But you will speak your languages.

Future reading: Homo Deus, from Yuval Noah Harari

http://www.ynharari.com/book/homo-deus/