Interesting question. It'd be really cool to be able to model the body just as we do electrical systems. This will allow us to trace through every activity and control it. However, I think it would require extensive understanding of the body as a chemical, biological as well as electrical (and any other property) object since the electrical model of the body cannot alone provide a complete understanding of the body. Also, it would be extremely difficult to test or simulate the body whereas it is really easy on regular circuits, which allows us to better model their behavior under various conditions. In any case, I think the electrical model of the body will help us better understand the body and I'm sure we will continue to make great progress, and one day we will obtain nearly complete understanding/control of the body.
Apr 16 2013: Hi Hindi,
I feel that women are encouraged to study engineering and other predominantly male fields through scholarships and benefits for minorities. I don't think it is necessary or beneficial to create role models for women because we already have programs that encourage women to study engineering.
Apr 16 2013: Hi Hadar,
It's interesting to think about the heart as a intelligence system given the traditional ideas associated with the heart. Although we seldom think of the heart as an intelligence system, it intuitively makes sense because the center of the intelligence system, the brain, relies on the heart to perform all of its functions. In this sense, I think all of our organs contribute to our intelligence system in some way or another.
Apr 9 2013: Hi Alison,
I agree with some of the previous comments that medical devices should not replace doctors. But, I do think new medical technology and devices help us detect changes/symptoms in our body that are hard to detect ourselves. Not everyone has access to health care and a doctor, so developing low-cost medical devices to provide an alternative to more expensive medical care by doctors is valuable.
I remember reading about dreams as randomly chosen memories in our brains. So if we think about certain things for a longer period of time, they are more likely to appear in our dreams. Exploring what/how we dream can be valuable in the sense that it helps us understand our brain better. Control of dreams will require extensive understanding of how our brain works, and it will definitely be of our advantage to be able to do so.
I understand the concern, and I think it is important to train doctors to realize that machine-produced data should not alone dictate their diagnosis. It requires an experienced eye to check the validity of machine-produce data, and vice versa. As long as doctors equally value their experience and machines and do not rely too heavily on either one, I think technology can only help us in medical diagnosis.
Mar 12 2013: Hi,
You bring up an interesting point, and I also think that with the convenience of technology, the human brain requires less work, and it sees little incentives to evolve. As much as the human brain has come closer to excellence, I feel that the brain evolves less now that the technology allows the brain to work less.
I do agree that EMS is of value in that it has the potential to enhance the body whether or not it has application in sports. My concern was, if the EMS technology advances to the point where there are robots and devices that constantly monitor and control an athlete's muscles, can we say it is still the person who is competing or is it the device?
Mar 7 2013: Hi,
Thanks for enlightening me with the origin of doping! Given the definition of doping, I agree that EMS should be allowed as long as it is safe.
I agree that to attract the general non-scientific community with videos, the experiment has to be visually stimulating. However, having a visual documentation of a research/experiment is still valuable to scientists because they reveal information that may not be so obvious in papers or simply because it is easier to understand. The problem is, these scientific videos will not likely become popular enough to make it on TV. It is still worthwhile to videotape an experiment for a relatively small group of people though, given how inexpensive and easy videotaping is nowadays.
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A comment on Conversation: Will mind-reading eventually become a reality and what are the implications for humanity?
Interesting question. It'd be really cool to be able to model the body just as we do electrical systems. This will allow us to trace through every activity and control it. However, I think it would require extensive understanding of the body as a chemical, biological as well as electrical (and any other property) object since the electrical model of the body cannot alone provide a complete understanding of the body. Also, it would be extremely difficult to test or simulate the body whereas it is really easy on regular circuits, which allows us to better model their behavior under various conditions. In any case, I think the electrical model of the body will help us better understand the body and I'm sure we will continue to make great progress, and one day we will obtain nearly complete understanding/control of the body.
A comment on Conversation: Will making rockstars out of women in science get more girls interested in science/technology/engineering/math (i.e. STEM) fields?
I feel that women are encouraged to study engineering and other predominantly male fields through scholarships and benefits for minorities. I don't think it is necessary or beneficial to create role models for women because we already have programs that encourage women to study engineering.
A comment on Conversation: Is the heart overlooked when it comes to intelligence?
It's interesting to think about the heart as a intelligence system given the traditional ideas associated with the heart. Although we seldom think of the heart as an intelligence system, it intuitively makes sense because the center of the intelligence system, the brain, relies on the heart to perform all of its functions. In this sense, I think all of our organs contribute to our intelligence system in some way or another.
A comment on Conversation: How can we better harness our human capabilities to develop medical technology?
I agree with some of the previous comments that medical devices should not replace doctors. But, I do think new medical technology and devices help us detect changes/symptoms in our body that are hard to detect ourselves. Not everyone has access to health care and a doctor, so developing low-cost medical devices to provide an alternative to more expensive medical care by doctors is valuable.
A comment on Conversation: What good is being able to control our dreams?
I remember reading about dreams as randomly chosen memories in our brains. So if we think about certain things for a longer period of time, they are more likely to appear in our dreams. Exploring what/how we dream can be valuable in the sense that it helps us understand our brain better. Control of dreams will require extensive understanding of how our brain works, and it will definitely be of our advantage to be able to do so.
A comment on Conversation: Do we rely too heavily on technology for medical diagnosis?
I understand the concern, and I think it is important to train doctors to realize that machine-produced data should not alone dictate their diagnosis. It requires an experienced eye to check the validity of machine-produce data, and vice versa. As long as doctors equally value their experience and machines and do not rely too heavily on either one, I think technology can only help us in medical diagnosis.
A reply on Conversation: Do you believe the human brain will continue to increase its capabilities?
You bring up an interesting point, and I also think that with the convenience of technology, the human brain requires less work, and it sees little incentives to evolve. As much as the human brain has come closer to excellence, I feel that the brain evolves less now that the technology allows the brain to work less.
A reply on Conversation: Is the use of EMS(electrical muscle stimulation) a form of doping?
I do agree that EMS is of value in that it has the potential to enhance the body whether or not it has application in sports. My concern was, if the EMS technology advances to the point where there are robots and devices that constantly monitor and control an athlete's muscles, can we say it is still the person who is competing or is it the device?
A reply on Conversation: Is the use of EMS(electrical muscle stimulation) a form of doping?
Thanks for enlightening me with the origin of doping! Given the definition of doping, I agree that EMS should be allowed as long as it is safe.
A reply on Conversation: Why don't we treat science experiments like primetime TV?
I agree that to attract the general non-scientific community with videos, the experiment has to be visually stimulating. However, having a visual documentation of a research/experiment is still valuable to scientists because they reveal information that may not be so obvious in papers or simply because it is easier to understand. The problem is, these scientific videos will not likely become popular enough to make it on TV. It is still worthwhile to videotape an experiment for a relatively small group of people though, given how inexpensive and easy videotaping is nowadays.