Scientists at Yale have genetically designed triggers in the brains of fruit flies that allow the flies behavior to be controlled with laser light, according to an article in the April 8 issue of the journal Cell.
In some experiments the light controls were engineered to alter how the flies jump, beat their wings and fly in an escape response. In other experiments, the light controls were used to activate dopamine neurons that stimulated walking and affected the types of paths the flies chose to follow. Loss of dopamine cell activity in humans underlies Parkinson's disease, a movement disorder.
http://www.yale.edu/opa/newsr/05-04-07-01.all.html
Potentially scary stuff... mind control by light. 😱
(Just being unnecessarily alarmist 🙂)
In some experiments the light controls were engineered to alter how the flies jump, beat their wings and fly in an escape response. In other experiments, the light controls were used to activate dopamine neurons that stimulated walking and affected the types of paths the flies chose to follow. Loss of dopamine cell activity in humans underlies Parkinson's disease, a movement disorder.
http://www.yale.edu/opa/newsr/05-04-07-01.all.html
Potentially scary stuff... mind control by light. 😱
(Just being unnecessarily alarmist 🙂)
