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Biotech Science

Remote-Controlled Flies 216

Posted by timothy from the careful-with-that-stuff dept.
Rollie Hawk writes "This could be a huge development for the ultra-lazy (and ultra-stinky, for that matter). It seems that Yale scientists have managed to engineer a remote control system for flies. According to their study (recently featured in Cell), specific neurons can be stimulated by lasers to control basic functions in fruit flies such as jumping, walking, and flying. The study, of course, was performed with wider ranging applications in mind than bringing new meaning to the saying, "Shew, fly!" The overall goal was to determine whether isolated-neuron stimulation could be used to control basic motor activities and even more complex behavior. Everyone since the days of Mary Shelly has obviously known that there are connections between electrical current and muscle movement. What makes this study unique is that it does not use traditional electrodes, which lack the single-neuron specificity of lasers. Eventually, this could lead to mappings that will give humans knowledge and possibly control over not only complex movements but less-than desirable mental functions such as aggression and overeating."
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Remote-Controlled Flies

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  • Fly Racing (Score:4, Interesting)

    by fembots ( 753724 ) on Monday April 11, 2005 @08:02PM (#12207405) Homepage
    I once saw a fly racing competition where the contestants must get their flies to weave through a course.

    They used water pistols filled with fruit juice. Flies' response time was slow but accuracy was extremely high.
    • I once saw a fly racing competition where the contestants must get their flies to weave through a course. They used water pistols filled with fruit juice. Flies' response time was slow but accuracy was extremely high.

      It's all fun and games unless it's your maggot!

  • To bad for Sony. (Score:5, Funny)

    by Kaenneth ( 82978 ) on Monday April 11, 2005 @08:02PM (#12207409) Journal
    They patented doing this with Sound waves instead of Lasers.

  • Oh yeah. Brilliant (Score:5, Funny)

    by ZorbaTHut ( 126196 ) on Monday April 11, 2005 @08:03PM (#12207422) Homepage
    Like we really need the sharks with frickin' laser beams to be even *more* powerful.

    I, for one, welcome our new brain-controlling frickin' laser shark overlords.

    (Smooth, guys. Real smooth.)

  • war (Score:1)

    by phyruxus ( 72649 )
    just got a whole lot more f-cked up.
  • Finally, I can look forward to owning a real remote control aircraft! No more having to play with r/c flight sims like Realflight [realflight.com] or Aerofly Pro [aerofly.de]. No more props that could decapitate someone if they hit them the wrong way, so I'm sure the local council won't object to me flying it at the park! I wonder how many channels for the remote!?

  • Groucho had the answer (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 11, 2005 @08:08PM (#12207458)
    Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

    Groucho Marx

  • No comment (Score:3, Funny)

    by bonch ( 38532 ) on Monday April 11, 2005 @08:08PM (#12207459)
    The scientists involved were unavailable for comment, as they were too busy constructing levels out of Lego blocks and playing them with their new remote-controlled flies in a real-life videogame.

    Work has already begun to interface with the flies using an NES controller. "Up-up-down-down-left-rifgt-left-right-B-A-select" makes their wings spin off!" exclaimed one sugar-charged geek.
    • This was funny, but as a kid I always dreamed I had remote controlled lego people that could pilot my remote control lego vehicles. This is one step closer to that. The cool thing about this is that we don't need to know much about the way the thing stays aloft or stays balanced, since it does it automatically. Although I'm sure this will help us learn more about how they do it.

  • I thought this was going to be a discussion on remote-controlling computer files

  • gg evil-mart (Score:3, Insightful)

    by ccbutler ( 840014 ) on Monday April 11, 2005 @08:09PM (#12207463) Journal
    another tool for the corporations to sell their goods and services.

    - patron enters store
    - patron gets stimulated by a flood of lazers within the store
    - patron has the urge to purchase more than what he/she origionaly wanted

    this sinister motive is nothing new either, corporations have dumped lots of money in research for these same reasons. I.e. certain fragrences in the air stimulate people to spend money, certain oxygen levels, etc. Ever notice how there is never a clock visable in a department store? The absence of knowing the time makes shoppers less in a hurry to leave.

    • Re:gg evil-mart (Score:5, Informative)

      by Eric(b0mb)Dennis ( 629047 ) on Monday April 11, 2005 @08:21PM (#12207560)
      Eh? I work at k-mart and there's plenty of clocks everywhere.

      Did you get the whole oxygen thing from the casino/urban legend [snopes.com]?

    • Re:gg evil-mart (Score:3, Interesting)

      by NanoGator ( 522640 )
      "Ever notice how there is never a clock visable in a department store?"

      Heh. To be fair, they'd have to go out of their way to install clocks.
    • Yeah, but you forgot the part about genetically altering the customers so that specific neurons fire in the presence of ATP, then injecting them with ATP "caged" in molecules that require a UV pulse to unlock.

      This is completely inapplicable for commercial influence, you clueless slashbot. It is a very clever *laboratory technique* for causing impulses in specific neurons of test animals without implanting electrodes.

      Get a clue.

    • Re:gg evil-mart (Score:3, Interesting)

      by nmb3000 ( 741169 )
      There's a lot of other places you can see this.

      I saw a thing on Discovery Channel (I think) that talked about fast food places and what they did to try to get you to buy more and stay in the restaurant for less time.

      As to eating more, ever hear of MSG? They call it a "flavor enhancer" but what it really does is make you want to eat more of whatever it's in. KFC was the worst offender in this--their chicken was drenched in the stuff. It's been known for a while that it excites neurons in the brain and is
      • I saw a show on the History channel about fast food, and they said KFC always put a serving of mashed potatoes in the bag, to add weight. That way, the customers would think they got their money's worth. I think of this when I visit other fast food resturants, and the bag seems light for the money I have paid. Guess the Colonel [kfc.com] was right.

        About the colors, Ronald McDonald [ronald.com] has to wear those same Yellow and Red colors.

      • Re:gg evil-mart (Score:3, Informative)

        by G-funk ( 22712 )
        No, MSG is simply a "flavour enhancer" that got a bad rap in the 80s because it was over-used and some people are allergic to it. It's like salt. There are certain receptors on your tongue that pick up MSG, just like there are some that detect sweet, sour, bitter, and savoury.

        • Re:gg evil-mart (Score:4, Informative)

          by nmb3000 ( 741169 ) on Monday April 11, 2005 @09:20PM (#12208024) Journal
          Interesting. I did a little looking [google.com] and it appears that what you said is true from most perspectives.

          There's still a lot of people who think otherwise though. I wonder why this is still debated a lot? What is there to gain from removing MSG as many seem to want?

          The one thing about all those "pro MSG" sites was that they all refer to mono-sodium glutamate as simply "glutamate", saying it's found naturally in proteins and in out bodies. Glutamate is an essential and natural amino acid. That's fine, but is plain old "glutamate" the exact same as MSG? MSG might be based on glutamate, but chemicals can change drastically if you add or remove extra elements. Anyone know more?

          • Re:gg evil-mart (Score:3, Informative)

            by gfody ( 514448 )
            Read this [westnet.gr] and look around here [msgmyth.com]

            unless you grow your own food, MSG is in just about EVERYTHING you eat. It helps you to be a good consumer. good consumer. goood.

            • ...should also note... (Score:4, Interesting)

              by x2A ( 858210 ) on Monday April 11, 2005 @11:42PM (#12208906)
              whilst true that high levels of glutamite can cause neuron death due to excitotoxicity, the brain does have defenses against it (in fact when glutamite levels shoot up high, the brain releases an NMDA-antagonist similar to ketamine, to protect against excitotoxicity).

              Glutamite is also coverted in the brain to GABA, another amino acid which acts as a primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, which counters glutamite and other excitory neurotransmitters. So it really isn't so cut and dry.

              -2A
            • MSG is in just about EVERYTHING you eat

              That's one reason I'm a little wary of it. My grandmother is gung-ho crazy about how bad MSG is for you, and out of curiosity I started looking at labels for food to see how many products have it. It's surprising how much stuff it's in. Pretty much anything canned like soups or chilies have it. Chicken and other broths have a ton. It's not always listed under "monosodium glutamate", there's other names for it too I guess. I think Ramen noodles are something like
              • I don't know. MSG probably isn't too expensive, but unless it has a big impact on food flavor why would it be in so much? Manufactures must really think that MSG helps them sell their product if they pay to use so much of it.

                I guess it's just cheaper than the flavour it replaces. That is, if you can replace e.g. half of all the flavour by cheaper MSG, then it's a win to do so.
          • What is there to gain from removing MSG as many seem to want?

            It's not removal most want, simply required labeling. Let the consumer decide, but give them the information to do so. Food allergies can be a bitch, and being allergic to something that could be in any processed food without warning is dangerous. Many folk get a headache with too much MSG (even if they are not allergic) and it is also responsible for the chinese effect, where 30 minutes later you feel hungry. MSG is essentially a drug that mak

  • Shocking Inaccuracy (Score:4, Informative)

    by Doc Ruby ( 173196 ) on Monday April 11, 2005 @08:10PM (#12207468) Homepage Journal
    Since the days of Galvani [wikipedia.org] , the Italian experimenter for whom "galvanic" current is named. Mary Shelly's days [wikipedia.org] started just about when Galvani's ended, as he died in December 1798, while she was born in August 1797. She wrote the story of "Frankenstein's monster", where dead flesh is revived by electricity, during Summer 1816.
    • Mary Shelly's days started just about when Galvani's ended, as he died in December 1798, while she was born in August 1797. She wrote the story of "Frankenstein's monster", where dead flesh is revived by electricity, during Summer 1816.

      What a coincidence. Mary Shelley was also born in 1797 and wrote a book about a monster in 1816.

  • controlling our brains (Score:4, Interesting)

    by sellin'papes ( 875203 ) on Monday April 11, 2005 @08:10PM (#12207469) Homepage
    I wonder what the benefits of artificially overcoming anger and over eating are. These mental functions generally have root causes. To use a form of mind control to subdue those thoughts will be temporary and will make our society dependent on brain lasers to cure our problems. The solution should come from confronting the causes in our personal lives. However, using the lasers to make animals dance could have benefits for all. Flea circus indeed!
    • Good call.

      A behaviour like over eating can't just be stopped without some kind of side effect. Behaviours need to be replaced carefully (ideally with something more constructive than over eating), as there will always be a side effect. If the behaviour is "removed" the outcome would be frustration or something else which is probably going to be negative. Whatever it is that triggered the feeling to overeat should be relearnt as something else, eg, read a book, do some exercise, etc. Eg, you can't just
    • The first thought that springs to mind (a little disturbingly) is the military benefit. A weapon that subdues the opponent would surely be of great utility to any army. It would certainly put a new edge on political persuasion if one could quietly modify a political leaders emotions. And if that doesnt work, using it to make a few world leaders dance and jump could be worth a giggle.
    • You're entirely missing the point. The "brain lasers" won't work in humans. They're a research tool to help us figure out what the causes of things like aggression and obesity, so we can figure out ways to treat them more effectively.

      Regarding aggression and obesity having causes in our personal lives, that's obviously partially true, but that doesn't mean we can't fix them clockwork orange-style. That day will hopefully come soon.

      • And being able to turn off your own or another's aggression would be a good thing for who? Aggression can allow us to stand up for ourselves and our loved ones, to compete and to generally not be the sheep that governments and police want you to be.

        Aside from which, 19/20 times, aggression is the symptom, not the cause. Hey, we don't need to see why youths vandalise, hassle or assault people, we'll just blanket the deprived area with aggression neutralising laser beams.

        Aggression is the human emotion
    • To use a form of mind control to subdue those thoughts will be temporary and will make our society dependent on brain lasers to cure our problems.

      Eh, that's been the case for 100 years. Ever since we invented eye glasses, poorly sighted people are just as useful as 20-20 vision folk. So there is now no gene filter for bad eyesight, and the planets eyesight will get progressively worse over time.

      Every advance we make in medicine that results in something inheriable a non-issue means us becoming dependant

  • Now if I were a little richer, I could have a remote control bee.
    • Now if I were a little richer, I could have a remote control bee.

      Imagine a beowulf cluster of those... I think I'd call it "a swarm".
    • When I was a kid, we used to tie a long thread to the hind leg of a June bug (the green scarabs you find in Alabama - not those brown things that are called "June Bugs" in Texas). So tethered, you can release the little critter, hold onto the other end of the thread, and he'll fly in circles around you. Cruel, but entertaining.

  • Sweet (Score:3, Insightful)

    by grommet_tdi ( 584038 ) on Monday April 11, 2005 @08:12PM (#12207487)
    This opens the door to the exciting world of nanotechnology. The number of applications could be limitless, one of which could be the development of tiny flying robots, millions working together to solve complex problems. Of course the military could see immediate benefits, creating swarms of synthetic "cameras", allowing our intelligence agencies access to unprecedented targets of interest. And the risks should be minimal, as these are purely man-made beings with no innate ability to reproduce, mutate, or turn on their creators. I for one cannot wait...sign me up!
  • "...Eventually, this could lead to mappings that will give humans knowledge and possibly control over not only complex movements but less-than desirable mental functions such as aggression and overeating." ...or abstinence. Think of the potential of a sex-laser like that!

    • Re:sex-laser (Score:1, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Somehow, I think the power of a laser to overcome the opacity of the skull, skin, hair, etc., in order to trigger central brain ganglia is probably more than enough to blow the head up.

      Microwaves will probably be the mechanism to do this in mammals.

      Of course, they're using magnetic field modulation to do deep brain stimulation in severely depressed individuals to evoke the same responses as ECT w/o the negative side effects, not the least is the temporary personality wipeout and desire for Spud Beer.
  • Husband: Honey! why are you just eating oatmeal today?
    Wife: Thats because my dietitian zapped me with this laser.
    Husband: How much did it cost?
    Wife: Only $550
    Husband: *faints*

    • Re:zap diet (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      In the future, we will have control over the faint reaction! Using LASERS.
  • [researchers] We shall control you with lasers [fly] try me! You can never control me! [researchers] Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated in 10,9,8,7... [fly] I laugh in the face of lasers! ha! ha! ha! ha! [researchers] 2,1... Activating neuron-control laser. Initiating first command...JUMP! [fly jumps] I don't understand! I feel perfectly normal, but I am jumping!?! [researchers] you have been assimilated.
  • I didn't rtfa, but wasn't there a project that remote controlled rats?
    • http://wired-vig.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282, 52236,00.html They did it with electrodes in the rat's brain/

  • Go to Hell (Score:1, Funny)

    by TheKidWho ( 705796 )
    Like I really need a gay ass computer chip to controll my aggression, screw you, you stupid piece of shit!

    • Re:Go to Hell (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Can someone explain the concepts of sarcasm and irony to the idiot that modded the parent a troll.
  • It makes me think of what the implications of such a discovery could be in the future. Just imagine what government types, or even interest groups could and probably would do if they could control other peoples motor reflexes, and even supress or bring out certain emotions that would make a certain cause easier to bring about.

    It's sorta scary thinking about what someone with a lacking in morals might do if something like this were to get to such a point.

  • I discovered this DECADES ago... (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 11, 2005 @08:21PM (#12207568)
    ...during a Laser Zeppelin show when I took off like a hummingbird. By buddies thought it was the brown acid, but I swore it was the lasers.
  • Read the title as Files the first time around and wondered to myself.... What's new about that? So, figure that the first application will be for Recon and Defense?

  • Foil hat (Score:4, Funny)

    by dark_requiem ( 806308 ) on Monday April 11, 2005 @08:24PM (#12207587)
    So a foil hat will block this out, right guys? Guys? Why are you all advancing on me with weapons? And what's with the glazed look in your eyes? Guys? Really, this isn't funny anymore, get back, I swear to god I'll... *long, terrified scream*...
  • Eventually, this could lead to mappings that will give humans knowledge and possibly control over not only complex movements but less-than desirable mental functions such as aggression and overeating

    Why is it that these "mental functions" are seen as some sort of involuntary nervous tic instead of the behavioral actions they really are? Jerkiness and gluttony will be treated with lasers! No need to develop a societally acceptable personality-- we'll just zap your brain every time you think about eating or

  • Pretty soon science will give us the ability to reprogram specific areas of the human brain and not to much farther down the road you could potentially remap an entire human brain onto a clone "6th Day" style.

    But why would you want to even stop there? Why not just create a new host for your consciousness in the form of reprogrammable replicating nanocells that are adverse to many of the inherent problems with cellular life and its fragile DNA?

    Even better than that, with this new artificial host created by
  • is here. [cell.com]

    The last movie is the best.

  • how it works, briefly (Score:5, Informative)

    by davi_bock ( 582213 ) <davi,bock&gmail,com> on Monday April 11, 2005 @08:32PM (#12207662)
    The flies have been engineered to express receptors for the neurotransmitter ATP in subpopulations of neurons. (This is the same ATP that is used for energy storage; it also acts as a neurotransmitter in mammals.) They are then injected with a form of ATP that is inactive until it is exposed to ultraviolet light. When the flies are exposed to the UV, the ATP is uncaged, and the selected population of neurons expressing the transgenic receptors is activated.

    Also, Carl Zimmer has written an article [nytimes.com] in the NYTimes on this; here's his blog post [corante.com] on the topic, as well.

    • I don't know about the article, but the blog post was totally unprofessional and lame in a misguided attempt to please some weird target audience. Why all that talk about hypothetical unethical scientists, the cocain?
  • ...and even other less, less, less desirable mental functions such as heresy, criticizing one's government and saying naughty words....
  • I could have sworn the link in my RSS reader said "Remote-Controlled Files". I was wondering what doofus had accepted a story about FTP.
  • As a child in England, I found that shew was an alternative spelling of show in a dictionary; but the only place I can remember seeing it used, was on a sign at the entrance to the Mersey Tunnel. Possibly shoo was intended?
  • Laser beam controlled fruit flies. Welcome to the future my friends.

    I wonder if this will work on people. Geek + that really bright green laser [thinkgeek.com] from ThinkGeek = date?
  • This is just one step closer to state-prescribed mind control.
  • Gives a whole new meaning to that classic

    Fly, my pretties! ;)

  • Not, "shew, fly."

    (unless the intent was to buy 3 pairs of really tiny sneakers)

    Did someone go and change TEL while I wasn't paying attention again?
  • I just watched the episode of Max Headroom where they spy on a board meeting via a mechanical fly, and now I see this?
  • They can wire the entire functions of a human body to a nifty ten button video game controller [racprops.com].

    "Brain' and 'brain'! What is 'brain'?"

  • Even headless flies took flight when researchers stimulated the correct neurons, according to the study, published in the April 7 issue of the journal Cell.

    Great, now we're one step closer to an actual Night of the Living Dead.

    Time to go rehearse some lines* [tvwavs.com], just in case.

    *I know I'm mixing up movies, but I've always wanted a legitimate reason to repeat those phrases. ;)

  • Soon Sony may have an Aibo attachment for real dogs!

  • Hey, you know what's awesome!? (Score:3, Funny)

    by NitsujTPU ( 19263 ) on Monday April 11, 2005 @10:47PM (#12208564)
    What's awesome is that Slashdot now comes equiped with readers who can't wait to have their brains controlled! Yay!

    Good science, though!
  • Last night a friend came round to my place to discover a dead cat near the gate. It's owner lives in the block of flats I live in.

    I broke the news to the woman. She accused me of killing the cat. Then she accused my friend. Then she accused just about every other person at the flats.

    My mate and I just wanted to bury the poor cat and she fought like a bitch with another woman who she was *convinced* killed the cat on purpose. They didn't stop bitching the entire time.

    She kept weeping "This is what happens
    • Control. . .

      Some people are so scared of the world hurting them that they feel the need to control every last inch of it.

      If you don't give a cat the freedom to roam about, it will turn into a lazy and/or mentally ill indoor cat. I see this all the time. Compare any 'house' cat from the city with any outdoor cat in the country, and the difference is immediately obvious.

      Freedom, Death and Danger are good teachers. If a people can't deal with this, then they should reconsider trying to 'own' a cat. --Ci
      • Controlling people with lasers is no better than keeping a cat locked up for life inside a one-bedroom apartment.

        Hehe, I was kidding about the lasers. I should have inserted smileys =)

        Originally I was thinking of self-inflicted mind control, letting me control my emotions while the women were bitching.

        My family has owned heaps of cats and we've always let them roam around. I don't see the point of owning an animal at all, let alone locking it up. Owning pets is mostly a selfish exercise.

        So no disagreem
  • now we are one step closer to the dream of sending remote controlled downs' syndrome people into battle. who will make our wicker baskets now!

  • Obligatoy Warning Label (Score:3, Funny)

    by Shag ( 3737 ) * on Tuesday April 12, 2005 @02:06AM (#12209627) Journal
    Do not look into laser with remaining fly.
  • ... of this [compuserve.com] (German language) story. :-)

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