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Carbon Nanotubes Capture Electrical Signals Between Neurons
President Obama’s BRAIN initiative, which was launched back in April, may already have a new tool for mapping the human brain in its arsenal. Researchers at Duke University have used a carbon nanotube to capture electrical signals from individual neurons.
With a complete 3-D digital map of the human brain now available as part of the European Human Brain Project, brain research is gaining a lot of momentum. The carbon nanotube probe developed by the Duke team, which acts like a sort of harpoon, first spearing the neurons and then collecting the electrical signals they send to communicate with other neurons, is expected to provide a new level of insight into the human brain.
“To our knowledge, this is the first time scientists have used carbon nanotubes to record signals from individual neurons, what we call intracellular recordings, in brain slices or intact brains of vertebrates," said Bruce Donald, a professor of computer science and biochemistry at Duke University, in a press release.
The research (“Intracellular Neural Recording with Pure Carbon Nanotube Probes”), which was published in the journal PLoS ONE, overcame the shortcomings (literally) of other attempts to use carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as neuron probes. Previously, CNTs have proven to be too short or too thick for the job. But the Duke team was able to make their CNT probe one millimeter long (quite long for CNTs) and capable of monitoring the electrical signals between neurons more precisely than the glass or metallic electrodes that are typically used.
The researchers were able to achieve these unique CNT characteristics with a specially devised technique. They accumulated carbon nanotubes at the tip of a tungsten wire until the tubes took the shape of a needle-like probe. Next, they coated the probe with an insulating material and then removed the insulating material with a focused ion beam. This process of applying, then removing the insulating material gave the probe an extremely fine point.
"The results are a good proof of principle that carbon nanotubes could be used for studying signals from individual nerve cells," said Duke neurobiologist Richard Mooney, a study co-author, in press release. "If the technology continues to develop, it could be quite helpful for studying the brain."
While the researchers concede that more research needs to be done to improve the electrical recording capabilities of the probes—even as improvements are made to their geometry and the insulating layers—the Duke team has applied for a patent on the probe. The researchers expect that the technology could not only prove useful for mapping the brain but for creating brain-computer interfaces.
Photo: Inho Yoon and Bruce Donald, Duke
Source: http://spectrum.ieee.org/nanoclast/biomedical/devices/carbon-nanotubes-capture-electrical-signals-between-neurons
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Founded by Russian entrepreneur Dmitry Itskov in February 2011 with the participation of leading Russian specialists in the field of neural interfaces, robotics, artificial organs and systems.
The main goals of the 2045 Initiative: the creation and realization of a new strategy for the development of humanity which meets global civilization challenges; the creation of optimale conditions promoting the spiritual enlightenment of humanity; and the realization of a new futuristic reality based on 5 principles: high spirituality, high culture, high ethics, high science and high technologies.
The main science mega-project of the 2045 Initiative aims to create technologies enabling the transfer of a individual’s personality to a more advanced non-biological carrier, and extending life, including to the point of immortality. We devote particular attention to enabling the fullest possible dialogue between the world’s major spiritual traditions, science and society.
A large-scale transformation of humanity, comparable to some of the major spiritual and sci-tech revolutions in history, will require a new strategy. We believe this to be necessary to overcome existing crises, which threaten our planetary habitat and the continued existence of humanity as a species. With the 2045 Initiative, we hope to realize a new strategy for humanity's development, and in so doing, create a more productive, fulfilling, and satisfying future.
The "2045" team is working towards creating an international research center where leading scientists will be engaged in research and development in the fields of anthropomorphic robotics, living systems modeling and brain and consciousness modeling with the goal of transferring one’s individual consciousness to an artificial carrier and achieving cybernetic immortality.
An annual congress "The Global Future 2045" is organized by the Initiative to give platform for discussing mankind's evolutionary strategy based on technologies of cybernetic immortality as well as the possible impact of such technologies on global society, politics and economies of the future.
Future prospects of "2045" Initiative for society
2015-2020
The emergence and widespread use of affordable android "avatars" controlled by a "brain-computer" interface. Coupled with related technologies “avatars’ will give people a number of new features: ability to work in dangerous environments, perform rescue operations, travel in extreme situations etc.
Avatar components will be used in medicine for the rehabilitation of fully or partially disabled patients giving them prosthetic limbs or recover lost senses.
2020-2025
Creation of an autonomous life-support system for the human brain linked to a robot, ‘avatar’, will save people whose body is completely worn out or irreversibly damaged. Any patient with an intact brain will be able to return to a fully functioning bodily life. Such technologies will greatly enlarge the possibility of hybrid bio-electronic devices, thus creating a new IT revolution and will make all kinds of superimpositions of electronic and biological systems possible.
2030-2035
Creation of a computer model of the brain and human consciousness with the subsequent development of means to transfer individual consciousness onto an artificial carrier. This development will profoundly change the world, it will not only give everyone the possibility of cybernetic immortality but will also create a friendly artificial intelligence, expand human capabilities and provide opportunities for ordinary people to restore or modify their own brain multiple times. The final result at this stage can be a real revolution in the understanding of human nature that will completely change the human and technical prospects for humanity.
2045
This is the time when substance-independent minds will receive new bodies with capacities far exceeding those of ordinary humans. A new era for humanity will arrive! Changes will occur in all spheres of human activity – energy generation, transportation, politics, medicine, psychology, sciences, and so on.
Today it is hard to imagine a future when bodies consisting of nanorobots will become affordable and capable of taking any form. It is also hard to imagine body holograms featuring controlled matter. One thing is clear however: humanity, for the first time in its history, will make a fully managed evolutionary transition and eventually become a new species. Moreover, prerequisites for a large-scale expansion into outer space will be created as well.
Key elements of the project in the future
• International social movement
• social network immortal.me
• charitable foundation "Global Future 2045" (Foundation 2045)
• scientific research centre "Immortality"
• business incubator
• University of "Immortality"
• annual award for contribution to the realization of the project of "Immortality”.
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