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Comments: 39 +- Science: Researchers Implant Neural-Monitoring RFID Into a Moth on Friday November 06, @06:30AM
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TechRev_AL writes "A team from the University of Washington has attached an RFID chip capable of sensing neural activity to a live moth, to pick up the spikes that occur as it beats its wings. Most neural implants are still relatively bulky, but the Washington researchers wanted to show the components in an RFID could be adapted for the same purpose. The NeuralWISP chip is a collection of low-power components such as a specialized signal amplifier, on a circuit board just over two centimeters long. The circuitry converts usable power from the reader — roughly 430 microwatts — to a voltage that can turn on a microcontroller. The sensor is also configured to 'wake up' only when a neuron fires. The ultimate goal is to create more compact, wirelessly-powered brain and nervous system implants for people."
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Talk about feeding the conspiracy theorists (Score:4, Funny)
You know all those "the government place a transmitter in my brain" people are going to have a field day with this one. Now they get to panic about government mind-control and RFID (or in their lingo "the mark of the beast") at the same time.
/Mikael
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control (Score:1)
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Debugging (Score:4, Funny)
Wonder if they've gotten all the bugs out yet?
We will add your biological and technological.... (Score:2, Funny)
... distinctiveness to our own.
Resistance is Futile.
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Ooh, that sun is BRIGHT! Two of Googolplex-and-three, set course for the centre of that star!
Re:We will add your biological and technological.. (Score:3, Funny)
No no, this is the birth of the Insecticons! Ahh, sweet childhood...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insecticons [wikipedia.org]
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Resistance? You will not resist. When it comes time to become [slashdot.org] a cyborg [wikipedia.org] you won't resist; you'll beg to join us. [wikipedia.org]
Well, as a moth... (Score:4, Funny)
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I, for one, welcome our new mothters. [angryflower.com]
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As a human, you will soon follow. ^^
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V-Chip (Score:3, Funny)
Cartman is going to be Pis*Z*Z*Z**ZZZZZZZZap. OUCH DAMN*Z*Z*Z*ZZZZAP. FuZ**Z*Z*Z*Z*Z*Z. OW!
Will o' the NeuralWISP, MEMS, & Spice (Score:2, Interesting)
'The Spice Must Flow' [youtube.com]
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Whoops, thought these were more then just monitors, and actual controllers... My bad!
It's only a matter of time really.
I just hope they don't remotely control spiders in the future... I hate those things :P
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---- Gibble, Gobble, we ACCEPT YOU
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I just hope they don't remotely control spiders in the future... I hate those things :P
Seriously? Because a remote controlled jumping-spider (with cameras) would be the coolest RC toy ever. Have you ever seen how fast those things are? They don't even move, they just shift through time over small distances.
Almost there (Score:2)
Now implant a laser diode into its head.
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"...because I feel every creature is entitled to a warm meal"
Two centimeters is not small (Score:2)
So it's about the size of a US dime. Seems pretty damn bulky to me. RFID devices can be much smaller [wikipedia.org], for things like gluing to ants. The record is listed at 0.05mm x 0.05mm.
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Yep, this is precisely what I was thinking. Actually, they lost me at "circuit board". Who hasn't seen simple electronics built without one that are way smaller as a result? It's a fucking moth, there's no enclosure into which you would install a PCB.
I did this for my senior EE project! (Score:2)
This key to this WHOLE thing is this one statement (Score:2)
"The ultimate goal is to create more compact, wirelessly-powered brain and nervous system implants for people."
Got it - they want to put these in YOU! So they can track everything you think, do and say. Oh wait wasn't that said in an old song "In The Year 2525"......
Welcome SLAVE!
This will help retailers (Score:1)
Moths with RFID chips implanted will not only make it easier for large retailers to keep track of their inventory, it will also help them to cut down on the rising number of moth pick pocketing (moth pocketing).
Heck, they might even be able to track consumer behavior: What else are moth-buying consumers interested in?
Usually moths are located in the rice and grain isle, but this new research might enable retailers to move them over to another part of the store, to sell other products as well. For example,
hmmm... (Score:1)
...something about this bugs me...