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How much would you pay for a memory chip in your brain?

nytimes.com — How much would you pay to have a small memory chip implanted in your brain if that chip would double the capacity of your short-term memory? Or guarantee that you would never again forget a face or a name?

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  • silvermaadi, on 04/12/2008, -26/+22I don't know if I would do it...though as tempting as it is.
    • cucina, on 04/12/2008, -5/+39I would LOVE to do it. But how much will it be? Will there be side effects? I strongly believe this will be a great step for helping people with Alzheimer's and other short/loss memory diseases.
      • gettophilosophr, on 04/12/2008, -0/+42...until you get accused of something and you receive a court order mandating that you go in for deep memory scanning.

        "Well, he doesn't remember committing a crime, but he *was* checking out that 12 year old girl last week...."
        • YellowSnowDemon, on 04/13/2008, -1/+24It's not illegal to check out 12 year old girls.
        • bob12321, on 04/13/2008, -0/+19Interesting to see if the data on it would be protected under the 5th amendment
        • emjaymj, on 04/13/2008, -0/+11The chip sounds more like it would just organize and keep track of where your memories are in your brain, not actually store them. With such a chip, they wouldn't be able to retrieve the memories without actually being able to read them from your brain, in which case it probably wouldn't matter if you had the chip or not...
        • DelayedEraser, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1if and when we have the skills to make a fully operating memory chip for the human brain, we will also probably have the skills to scan someone's memory even when they don't have the chip. court-ordered engram extraction – woo!
      • sanman, on 04/13/2008, -0/+7Why have a memory chip, when a broadband wireless chip would give you access to everything? Plus you could communicate with the rest of the world, too.

        Maybe the only downside might be hackers gaining access to your brain.
        • po43292, on 04/13/2008, -0/+3Could you imagine? Like a website getting hacked and containing the text of whatever the hacker puts in, but instead you're in a meeting or something and someone hacks your brain chip, and suddenly you start talking about how much you want to bang your boss' wife.
          • bbardlbradd, on 04/13/2008, -1/+2I would think back on my childhood memories, and the memories of my dead grandmother, and .... RICKROLL!? *****, HOW DO I CLOSE A VIVID RICKROLL MEMORY!?

            NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
      • bagboyrebel, on 04/13/2008, -1/+1well you could die if you overfill it without removing the data in time.
        • bagboyrebel, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1hasn't anyone seen Johnny Mnemonic?
          • RobotCitizen, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2Yes, but some of us prefer to forget we did.
          • bagboyrebel, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1whatever dude, that was an awesome movie.
        • michaelb1, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2I can't even remember what this article is about.
      • Joshuarr, on 04/13/2008, -1/+1@ Cucina: I highly doubt that a chip will have any positive effect on Alzheimer's Read this book for an excellent discourse on an eastern/western fusion treatment plan that is making waves in the medical world: http://www.amazon.com/Brain-Longevity-Breakthrough ...
      • Sabretou, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2It will suddenly make Memento a really, really old movie.
    • Akaji, on 04/12/2008, -3/+61I don't have a brian, so I don't see why I'd pay money for the chip.

      But seriously, I'd probably pay quite a bit, so long as it's been tested long enough to know that it's safe (it won't turn me into a zombie).
    • DelayedEraser, on 04/12/2008, -2/+142I would pay double if it came pre-loaded with all of Wikipedia.
      • scy1192, on 04/12/2008, -2/+27just hope you aren't trying to remember a vandalized article
        • itsthebrod, on 04/12/2008, -2/+40Look buddy, I don't give a ***** what you say, Stephen Colbert won the 2008 presidential election!
        • Calabahn, on 04/13/2008, -2/+7I'm not your buddy, friend.
      • krnldmp, on 04/12/2008, -5/+4That's stupid. You could upload it yourself for nothing.
      • Sabretou, on 04/13/2008, -1/+3"Dude, I just heard this awesome news about Obama!"
        "Sorry, can't take any of that - the Obama article is semi-protected and I'm not logged in. :( "
      • shawnz, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1agreed. would completely make it worth it.
    • synystar, on 04/12/2008, -2/+41Why pay? Make it free and load it up with Google ads. I'm an expert at ignoring them.
      • mjwhip, on 04/13/2008, -0/+18adblock plus FTW
        • rabidbob, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1Hosts file FTW. Wait, does the chip come with a hosts file?
    • mentor, on 04/12/2008, -2/+25My Brian says he doesn't want one...
    • poidh, on 04/12/2008, -2/+11Is your name Brian?
    • krnldmp, on 04/12/2008, -6/+1There you have it. For the forseeable future we have the willfully dumb.
    • rpgmaker, on 04/13/2008, -0/+3It depends, the last time I checked the 64GBs models were very expensive for that short capacity. I think I will wait for the prices to drop and then buy a 120GBs model... I don't know! Upgrading your brain is a very delicate surgery :|
      /the American consumer in a few decades.
    • GawtMilk, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1Seems like it'd be best if it was a non-permanent solution. A very small screen or something that is easy to repair or remove.
    • sporg, on 04/13/2008, -0/+3Think of the negative possibilities before you think about signing up. If you had one of these chips and say it saved your most personal thoughts and information, the authorities would find a way to make you divulge everything on it before being granted a passport or allowed to hold certain jobs or get a credit card etc etc. I can guarantee you 100% that it would simply become a new method of controlling people. I have had enough of that already thank you very much! They would probably add DRM to your brain to while they are at it.
      • MtheoryX, on 04/13/2008, -1/+1"If you had one of these chips and say it saved your most personal thoughts and information"

        Dude, that sounds like it could be a movie! Maybe we could have funerals the showed clips from that person's life from their own perspective. Oh, wait...
    • Amnesia10, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1Just think of the downside the police or FBI would just be able to download it, maybe even via wireless, and no need for courts just sentencing, It would be pretty hard to refute such evidence. Though on the plus side, think of all the politicians who could no longer say at a grand jury "I have no recollection" So maybe we should make it mandatory for all politicians?
  • macwac, on 04/12/2008, -12/+152Eternal rick rolling...

    Never gonna give you up
    Never gonna leave your mind...

    Just imagine digg with everyone having twice the memory capacity.
    • dalos, on 04/12/2008, -0/+106No more story duplicates!
      • BOFH2, on 04/12/2008, -0/+11mmmmmmmmmm duplicates.....
      • Intamin, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2Or twice as many... :(
      • bentrinh, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2I don't think the reason we see duplicates is that people are trying to avoid them....
    • zspade, on 04/12/2008, -1/+30Banana phone ♫♪ Banana Phone ♪
      • TheConman, on 04/13/2008, -5/+5I got this feelin'
        • credence, on 04/13/2008, -4/+4It's so appealin
        • garageboy101, on 04/13/2008, -2/+12i think we all know the lyrics. thanks.
        • Zaggynl, on 04/13/2008, -1/+3for us to get together and sing. Sing!
        • hansk, on 04/13/2008, -1/+1call for pizza, call my cat, call the white house, how bout that?
    • petebert, on 04/12/2008, -0/+25dup, my memory chip shows this picture of your cat was posted June 19th 2003.
    • Samsong, on 04/13/2008, -0/+11All of the comments would no longer seem original...
    • themastersb, on 04/13/2008, -2/+1Imagine your brain got hacked and that was all you could think of...
      • zspade, on 04/13/2008, -1/+9Being a male there already is pretty much just one thing I can think of.
        • BTConan, on 04/13/2008, -0/+3Sorry, you were saying something? I got distracted.
    • Dotcommer, on 04/13/2008, -1/+28I would pay anything to make Ghost In The Shell a reality.
      • Markpdotcom, on 04/13/2008, -1/+3Johnny Mnemonic I think :)
      • therealgt, on 04/13/2008, -0/+4Ghost in the shell -- I can't wait for my first cyberbrain!! I await you neural interfaces!!!

        Seriously tho. this as we all know would be awesome. ***** all that other ***** with the crazy human sized super robotic bodies *****... that's tjust gravy compared to the concept of the cyberbrain and how the net is integrated into everyone's brain really.. They use external sotrage for memories and software packs they use alot, they access wikipedia like databases for info on obscure cultural references... this is all not terribly new of an idea itself of course, but a good demonstration of what it would be like. They have imagined the correct, I think.

        Theres so much more detail as well but basically, yeah Gost in the Shell is the bomb.
        Best future evar!
    • Fozefy, on 04/13/2008, -1/+5no...imagine goatse with one of those in your head...
      • bbardlbradd, on 04/13/2008, -1/+4It would instantaneously (because by nature we do this) link the visual goatse to the feeling of pooping, but also the feeling of stretching something with your hands, and then a simulated experience of having cold air moving into or out of your *****.

        The experience would be too much for me... would probably slip into a coma for three years...
    • deltaandroid, on 04/13/2008, -2/+42 Girls 1 Cup would seem so vivid!!!! AHHHHH
    • xlar54, on 04/13/2008, -0/+11"MORE INPUT, STEPHANIE."
    • dude501, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1There was nothing new or original in the article at all.
      • therealgt, on 04/13/2008, -0/+0Agreed. I believe now we are just using this thread to confirm how awesome ghost in the shell is. cyberbrains and whatnot. compare to gibson. For extra points, compare to blade runner the movie (you guess which edition/directors/final cut really for sure this time).
    • freshgrease, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1You can't double infinity.
    • therealgt, on 04/13/2008, -0/+0Oh aslo wanted to say that doing drugs while having a cyberbrain would be an interesting experience: wonder how different substances might interact with the neural interfaces? would they adapt? would they send the user into a sort of feedback loop situation where they are constantly overstimulated by the drug and the cyberbrains reaction to their overstimulated brian patterns??

      Never mind, i'm fine now really.
  • BlueTunicLink, on 04/12/2008, -27/+224As long as it doesn't run on Vista.
    • Akaji, on 04/12/2008, -2/+51"Uh-oh, I think my brain just crashed." *dies*
    • realwx, on 04/12/2008, -5/+77That's ridiculous, my brain has a memory chip running Vista and it's working fi
    • netdroid9, on 04/13/2008, -4/+13My entire brain runs on Vista, I'll just add any USB with this cool thing called ReadyBoost.

      Let's see... 'Interface not supported', 'device is too slow', another 'interface is not supported'...
    • Myonosken, on 04/13/2008, -3/+12Yeah, although its a no-win situation as I'd rather not sit around having to code drivers for my eyeballs for Linux :-/
      • BlueSkyfish, on 04/13/2008, -0/+9Just let other people do it for you, and have it automatically find them in a repository and install them.
        • bbardlbradd, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1You spell it "suppository" not "repository". I would like to install nothing please.
    • jo21, on 04/13/2008, -8/+3or the low security mac OS or else our memories would be hacked easily
    • PueSi, on 04/13/2008, -2/+9Stupid fanboys, Vista Brain Edition works just fine for me, maybe you should try it with a decent memory chip before spewing you FUD.
    • Sabretou, on 04/13/2008, -0/+3Anybody have torrent links for Ubuntu Brain 8.04 Hardy?
    • blueandgreen24, on 04/13/2008, -0/+3My brian doesn't run Vista. In fact, I don't even have a brian.
  • ieataquacrayons, on 04/12/2008, -2/+71I am really good at remember useless information and forgetting the important stuff... I can't imagine doubling that.
    • CrazedLeper, on 04/12/2008, -0/+29I'd rather forget most the people I have met. Is there a chip for that?
      • darkphenox, on 04/13/2008, -0/+46Let me introduce you to Vodka.
        • ZeroNeo, on 04/13/2008, -3/+3vodka has the strange ability to make me forget the people i just met and want to remember while keeping the memories i'd rather forget
          • Markpdotcom, on 04/13/2008, -0/+11You're not drinking enough of it then :D
        • loquax, on 04/13/2008, -1/+1Naw, drink Burbon, that way people will know your drunk from the smell on your breath and not stupid.
      • Vironex, on 04/13/2008, -1/+2That makes me sad.
    • UnterDenLinden, on 04/13/2008, -2/+5Me too, those "ing"s just slip my mind all the time.
  • skmice2, on 04/12/2008, -3/+86I would go for it as long as it is mindhack-proof ... would really love to carry a few dictionaries, a street map and my "do-not-forget.txt" with me all the time.
    • BOFH2, on 04/12/2008, -0/+15the street map would be great
    • Useight, on 04/12/2008, -0/+16Why not just print do-not-forget.txt and put it in your wallet?
      • Buu700, on 04/13/2008, -0/+27It's 1337 pages, .5-spaced, 3.14 font, no margins...
      • credence, on 04/13/2008, -0/+21Because the first thing on the list is to remember not to forget my wallet!
    • EmperorAwesome, on 04/12/2008, -0/+13And I'd love to be paid exorbitant amounts of money to carry people's private files on mine.
      • carpespasm, on 04/13/2008, -5/+1yeah, but if your brain only has 8x gigs to store stuff why not just sneak it through other ways? We'll have thumbdrives that hold that much in a few years.
      • neutrascrub, on 04/13/2008, -1/+1but what if you keep the data in there too long?
    • Adamande, on 04/13/2008, -0/+8Most of us do already. It's called a mobile phone. Upside of the mobile is, you can ditch it if it's being tracked. Besides, I'm pretty sure no technology on the market is hack-proof, and microchips won't be either.
    • CombatSteve, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1That would be assuming there was anyway for someone to get a connection with the chip, if it runs on direct connections to your brain and doesn't have a wireless function, (which why would it?) then I don't see anyway someone could hack it if the only person who is "connected' to it is you. I wouldn't imagine something like that to be connected to the internet.
    • Jb611, on 04/13/2008, -1/+5Don't forget the porn
  • ultrabright, on 04/12/2008, -2/+41How could someone forget to pull their ripcord?
    • digginmygrave, on 04/12/2008, -4/+18"sky divers have been known to forget to pull their ripcords — accounting, by one estimate, for approximately 6 percent of sky-diving fatalities" , better yet , how can someone generate this statistic ? Did the divers yell "btw, I forgot to pull my ripcord!" just before they hit ?
      • nyx210, on 04/13/2008, -1/+21Well... if they didn't pull the ripcord, then the parachute wouldn't open.
        • d3faultnet, on 04/13/2008, -0/+17parachute malfunctions do happen..... wait, how the hell is this on topic?
          • Buu700, on 04/13/2008, -6/+1OMFG HAX0R N00B RTFA!!!!!

            "sky divers have been known to forget to pull their ripcords — accounting, by one estimate, for approximately 6 percent of sky-diving fatalities"
          • dubloe7, on 04/13/2008, -4/+3rtfa, it was mentioned in the article.
        • hauntedchippy, on 04/13/2008, -0/+6His point was how do you know they didn't pull it due to forgetting to do so? They could've passed out, heart failure, anything.
          • bbardlbradd, on 04/13/2008, -0/+7Simple. When you're passed out, or when your heart fails, it's hard to remember to do such things.
      • loquax, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2No, Torchwood shows up with some strange metal gauntlet and then asks an inane set of questions in the 20 seconds they have the poor guy alive again.
        • johnsmith3210, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1I hate that show with a passion. However... nice reference.
    • DubiousDrewski, on 04/13/2008, -0/+7I don't get it. Forgetting to pull shouldn't matter. I skydive now and then and it's the law to wear an AAD (automatic activation device). It determines your altitude and rate of descent. If you're still falling even after passing the 2500 foot mark, (The minimum at which the pros pull), it will open your reserve chute for you.

      I could jump out of the plane and not do anything; just curl up into the fetal position the whole time - and I'd land just fine. Maybe this is only a Canadian law?
  • honestlywhagwan, on 04/12/2008, -6/+404my Brian is okay for now. i don't think he needs a chip.
    • cambob76, on 04/12/2008, -0/+43I wish I had a Brian, with or without a chip.
    • msergeant, on 04/12/2008, -9/+6How about dip, you gotta have dip with chip!
      • J3EBS, on 04/13/2008, -0/+4Now we rippin', sippin', dippin' AND chippin'!
        /Mad TV
    • kingvik, on 04/13/2008, -7/+4My short term memory is fine, its retrieving detail from my long term memory that could use improvement. (Not that it's bad.)
    • surfmore, on 04/13/2008, -4/+34I am suprised it took a full 6 comments before someone pointed it out...
      • Buu700, on 04/13/2008, -8/+2It took many more than that, because nobody cared, except for the commies who take the opportunity to get Dugg UP!!!!!11111111111
    • ThatSwankyBrian, on 04/13/2008, -0/+33This is what's wrong with the world - Brians treated as property instead of people.

      LET MY PEOPLE GO.
    • owls27, on 04/13/2008, -3/+11Insane in the Membrian!
    • UnterDenLinden, on 04/13/2008, -9/+2my Brain is okay for now. i don't think he needs a chip.
    • GreatWhiteShaky, on 04/13/2008, -0/+13Lucky! My Brian is a douche, he never remembers my birthday :(
    • KaizenNinja, on 04/13/2008, -0/+4Always look on the bright side of life
    • Pritchard, on 04/13/2008, -1/+2I wish I had a Brian... in the ass.
  • keviniskool, on 04/12/2008, -1/+200It's all fun and games until someone gets a buffer overflow.
    • tyywebb, on 04/13/2008, -0/+9http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY-03vYYAjA
    • xlar54, on 04/13/2008, -0/+11Id rather find a way to FORGET some things. Wouldnt it be cool to watch the *orginal* star wars films all over again, as if you'd never seen them before? Or forget those things that do nothing but bother you? To have bionic memory is really way more than Id ever want.
    • smashhell, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1Well, What if you could "Forget" things as much as "Remember" things all at the same time ?
      What if you could "Control" your memory ?
      / delete , and it's gone forever. =)
    • kcap122, on 04/13/2008, -0/+4"What was the name of that band again?"
      "Oh you mean -SEGFAULT-? ....OW!"
  • getrealnow, on 04/12/2008, -1/+30"Making our memories both more accessible and more reliable would require something else, perhaps a system modeled on Google, which combines cue-driven promptings similar to human memory with the location-addressability of computers." .."incorporating Google-like master maps into neural implants. "

    Yep, I knew Google would take over earth. But thats "ok" right, i mean we do like Google?
    • crodragn, on 04/12/2008, -0/+29If we don't now, we will after the chips are implanted.
    • msergeant, on 04/12/2008, -0/+11Don't you mean, we are Google?
    • blakemara, on 04/12/2008, -8/+5Surely they're a better alternative to the Bush administration
    • Azerael, on 04/13/2008, -0/+4Who would have guessed that the evil corporation that enslaves humanity in a dystopian future would have such a ridiculous name...
  • sap959, on 04/12/2008, -24/+11LOL!.... Brian
    • TobiasParker, on 04/12/2008, -0/+7Obbligatory 'use the reply button' post.
      • po43292, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2Obligatory "you spelled 'obligatory' wrong".
  • deadnoob, on 04/12/2008, -0/+58This would do wonders for those damn finals that are coming up...
    • thecheatah, on 04/13/2008, -2/+5I wish I could digg u more.
    • Le3f, on 04/13/2008, -0/+7Yeah really, then I could stop studying and browse Digg... errr... *****, whoops
  • Enron, on 04/12/2008, -1/+171Better ask Brian if it's ok to put a memory chip in him before you start making offers.
  • wiachy, on 04/12/2008, -19/+6not much because I'm pretty sure the human brain can hold more memory than any chip mankind could make for the for see able future.
    • drowningfish, on 04/12/2008, -13/+2Our brain's short-term memory is said to have a capacity of 7 bits of data.
      • Seth024, on 04/13/2008, -2/+14So it's not enough to store a single character? and no 4-digit numbers?

        Maybe 7 things, but not 7 bits.
    • Sirocco, on 04/12/2008, -1/+12It's not an issue of storage but accessibility. Our subconscious can pull from an immense pool of data that we're automatically collected over the course of our lives, as illustrated by how vivid and realistic our dreams can be when revisiting familiar places or people, but on a conscious level we can't pull much of that data.

      I'm just waiting for an implant that can record what I'm seeing :)
      • drowningfish, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1The article is discussing our short-term memory capacity. This has nothing to do with the speed at which we are able to recall bits of information stored in long-term storage as you seem to be implying. I do not quite understand how doubling our short-term memory's capacity would affect pooling bits of information from out of our long-term memory banks. Please explain..

        If we had the ability to double our short-term memory capacity from 7 bits of information to 14 bits of information then would that not mean we would then have a more efficient working memory? Therefore allowing us to absorb double the amount of information at the current rate it is received from our senses.
    • tehbored, on 04/12/2008, -0/+2This may be true, but most of it is inaccessible. Also, it's much more difficult to record new memories.
    • djvchris, on 04/13/2008, -0/+7You've obviously never had to study for an Organic Chemistry exam.
    • drowningfish, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1It's semantics folks...

      In the context of our brain's short-term memory, information processed at this point (short-term) of our memory system is referred to as a bit. Our short-term memory is measured by bits of information. You can call them items if you wish, but they are referred to as bits of information when being measured.
  • jessestorm, on 04/12/2008, -3/+15I forget.
    • tyywebb, on 04/13/2008, -0/+9You've been drinking that City 17 water haven't you?
    • bbardlbradd, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1Ew, I hate City 17. Here is Ravenholm the water is died red like strawberry milk! Still tastes bad tho :/
  • scy1192, on 04/12/2008, -3/+6wire me up, doc
  • radarbeam, on 04/12/2008, -8/+24My Brian? kthxbye
  • Eshestun, on 04/12/2008, -0/+28I imagine I'd have a much easier time getting through medschool :(
    • krnldmp, on 04/12/2008, -0/+13Much. Med school is nothing but memorization.
      • zspeed78, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2Sad but true..
      • Nudar, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2Maybe for the first two years it's memorization. For the last 2 years it's about being treated like a slave by residents.
    • loganhuddleston, on 04/13/2008, -0/+4good luck with school! we need all the health care professionals we can get.
  • fusen, on 04/12/2008, -12/+16How much would I pay to get it put IN?! You should be asking how much I'll pay to keep it OUT!
    • CrazedLeper, on 04/12/2008, -2/+10I'm with you on that point. The more these discussions continue, the more it will seem like the "right" thing to do to have chips implanted in our hands to "protect" us from [enter pretext].
    • kingcam, on 04/12/2008, -2/+7Don't listen to the luddites, trust technology for it cannot be malevolent, only humans can.
      • Jennefah, on 04/13/2008, -1/+6Then isn't it conceivable that we malevolent humans could create things as malevolent as ourselves? Or at the very least things that appear to be malevolent? I'm not a Luddite, just genuinely curious.
      • CrazedLeper, on 04/13/2008, -3/+3So a example of a peaceful and productive purpose for an intercontinental ballistic thermonuclear missile would be? Technology for technology's sake is not good. Chips under the skin will one day prove to be worse for humanity than all the nuclear incidents combined.
        • kingcam, on 04/13/2008, -0/+4There is plenty of 'peaceful and productive' uses for the human mastery of fusion and fission, as well as rocketry and guidance systems; all pieces a ballistic missile are 'peaceful and productive'. I am just wondering how you can possibly reason that augmenting our imperfect bodies with machinery will one day prove to be worse for humanity than 'nuclear incidents'? If you can provide me with some sound reasoning, that is to say, not fallacious and abides by Occam's Razer, that points to the fact that this will be decremental to our condition then I will be willing to consider the idea. Until such time all we can do is consider the fact that computerization has had a positive effect on society as has altering our bodies (immunization etc.).
        • janne1, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1Would you trust someone - anyone- to put one of those in your head? If the answer is yes, then go ahead, be my guest. They'll have to kill me before they can stick their "memory" chips in my head.
    • tedhead2k, on 04/13/2008, -0/+3That's what she said.
      • TrainingName, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1That's no insult to that specific comment. o.O
  • tehbored, on 04/12/2008, -1/+17More than I'd pay for a car, that's for sure.
  • michelsonmorley, on 04/12/2008, -2/+45Brian is pretty forgetful these days but I don't think a memory chip will help him.
  • cannabrain, on 04/12/2008, -1/+9shadowrun anybody?
    • copypastry, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1WTB encephalon and cerebral boost cyberware
  • SmellyFingers, on 04/12/2008, -50/+10The sad thing is, many kids of color would STILL fail out of school even if they had this in their brains.
    • synystar, on 04/12/2008, -3/+29What an irrelevant and unnecessary thing to say.
      • banmaster, on 04/12/2008, -19/+3Completely accurate though.
        • KingPsyz, on 04/13/2008, -1/+5what an appropriate username...
        • CrazedLeper, on 04/13/2008, -1/+1People like you and the other one are living in a bubble. You are allowed every advantage so you imagine that everyone should be able to accomplish what you have and what you consider to be an accomplishment.

          You are arrogant. You have set benchmarks based upon criteria at which you excel which seem good and relevant to you but others are entitled to disagree or set their own benchmarks. You do well in school because you obey the machine. You obey the machine because you expect it to reward you -- and it does.

          Doing well in school is not a guarantee of success when you live in a nation that has a history of hating you for generations before you were born. People of color do not have the same expectation of reward and therefore no motivation to pursue what seems good to you.

          People of color have a better chance of doing well at public performance because it's much harder for someone to keep you down when everyone can see that you are exceptional. That's why blacks are good at sports and the performing arts.
    • KingPsyz, on 04/12/2008, -4/+8welcome to my ignore list cockbag
      • hulez, on 04/16/2008, -0/+1a bag of *****. let me jump in theRE~~~ OOOOH YEAH
    • CrazedLeper, on 04/12/2008, -4/+8And many kids without color would shoot their entire class and then themselves. I'd prefer the former.
    • PueSi, on 04/13/2008, -0/+3Transparent children are way smarter than colored ones.
      • CrazedLeper, on 04/13/2008, -0/+5I don't trust those transparent kids. I see right through them.
  • knight666, on 04/12/2008, -1/+46Here's the thing:
    First you get a memory chip implanted.
    And then: oh noes! New version! More memory! Better operability!
    So you have another surgery to upgrade it.
    Repeat every year and a half.

    Although carrying "images" with me at all times sounds appealing...
    • allemande, on 04/12/2008, -2/+7Of course, because our vision isn't imagery...
    • liquidhalcyon, on 04/12/2008, -3/+31Wait, by images, you mean porn, right?
      • ninxmz, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2I know I would like to store more porn in my brain.
      • Firehed, on 04/13/2008, -0/+7If you really needed to ask, then you definitely need this brain upgrade :D
      • Sabretou, on 04/13/2008, -1/+1No *****, Sherlock.
    • BOFH2, on 04/12/2008, -1/+2yes because when I think my brain actually spells no-noes
    • EmperorAwesome, on 04/12/2008, -0/+9Solution: Gibson's microsofts. Interchangeable data sticks matched with a convenient socket behind the ear.
    • tehbored, on 04/13/2008, -0/+4Well the actual memory unit doesn't have to be in your skull, that can just be an interface with a computer you wear on your belt.

      Also, you know you can just put porn on a PDA or an iPod right?
    • bryceman111, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1I can see it now: "New Microchip with our optimized for brain SPANK BANK technology!"
    • Brss45, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2In case you find nude pics of your buddy's girlfriend and don't have a flash drive... right?
    • hshadow914, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1make sure you don't get any viruses...
  • mooseontheloose, on 04/12/2008, -0/+8I'd want it only if you could consciously know when and whatmemories are being accessed from the chip.
  • MAGZine, on 04/22/2008, -1/+19Sometimes its a good thing to forget, ya know?
    • XfobiaX, on 04/13/2008, -0/+5That's why you have the delete button.
      • Metasquares, on 04/13/2008, -2/+2There was a short novel I read in high school about the consequences of such a system, but I (ironically) cannot remember the title.
    • Hanzolot, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2Too bad the things most people would like to forget are the things they never will.
  • dayvideg, on 04/12/2008, -3/+5Brains, must have Brains!
  • Pete0430, on 04/12/2008, -4/+33This is turning into Total Information technology, or TIT, and when you're sucking on the TIT, they've got you by the motherboard
    • itsgotyou, on 04/12/2008, -0/+21The next version will be Total Access Technology; you'll have to swap TIT for TAT.
    • xkorbin, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1Ever read The Traveler, by John Twelve Hawks? Or it's sequel?
    • Sparkio, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1::redownloads Robin Williams Live on Broadway::
  • Zlorp, on 04/12/2008, -2/+2for a very brief moment i thought the photo was the Polaroid from Memento where hes pointing at his heart.

    would have gone along perfectly with the article.
  • ralphthemagi, on 04/12/2008, -1/+70About $3.50.
  • dancenhance, on 04/12/2008, -0/+9How much did Johnny Mnemonic spend?
  • Hetman, on 04/12/2008, -3/+4That would be priceless. And that is the problem if this technology ever came about. I would probably never be able to afford it.
    • ExRe, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1Not at all. All technology you can buy today was at some point much more than any average consumer could afford. This stuff will be cheap within a couple of decades. Not only cheap, but I'd say it would be rare to find someone in an urban area without some kind of electronic implant (I am thinking more along the lines of communications though as the main use for it).
  • JonContra, on 04/12/2008, -6/+1That was stupid ... I thought that I could get a chip in my brain ...
  • JedicodeWarrior, on 04/12/2008, -1/+10The price is not important as long as the tin foil hat is free.
  • tehroflmaoer, on 04/12/2008, -1/+1615 dorrah
  • JemmStar, on 04/12/2008, -0/+5I'd settle for a small buffer enough to remember a 10 digit phone number for more than an hour
    • RepubOperative, on 04/13/2008, -11/+2You must be as dumb as a box of rocks. I've memorized 125 pages of commands out of a Cisco manual. No problem. Can you remember your own phone number? What is the problem with a ten digit number?
      • bob12321, on 04/13/2008, -0/+4Say a friend gives you their number to call them fro a ride an in hour. Most people would forget it in that time.
        • ChromaVita, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2I like to make it into a song!
          ...but by the end of the hour I just end up with 867-5309 stuck in my head, and I can't for the life of me remember their number...
      • B3000, on 04/13/2008, -0/+7Have you ever met a girl at a bar or a club and not had anything to write down her number with? Oh, of course not - you were at home memorizing commands in a Cisco manual.
  • socoolisme, on 04/12/2008, -2/+2Could I use the chip to smuggle data around?
  • allemande, on 04/12/2008, -0/+15Oh *****, does this mean that in the future, not only do we have to upgrade our computer RAM, but our brain RAM as well??

    I can see it now.. "3GB BRAIN! 50% OFF!"
    • poidh, on 04/12/2008, -1/+12You'll need more than 3 gigs.
      • xkorbin, on 04/13/2008, -0/+11Remember, you can only support more than 3.25gb if you are operating in 64 bit mode! Buy a copy of Windows Brainsta x64 today!
        • Gatesgamer33, on 04/13/2008, -0/+7No thanks, I'll stick with ubraintu.
    • ExRe, on 04/13/2008, -0/+6By that time, I'd be willing to bet that you can get ram chips that are 1TB or larger.
  • schnikies79, on 04/12/2008, -5/+14Nothing because I wouldn't do it.

    I will never have a unnecessary electronic device implanted or permanently (in the sense that I can't remove it when i goto bed) attached to my body.
    • Hetman, on 04/12/2008, -6/+5Why?
      • 1randomguyO8, on 04/12/2008, -2/+9Because it's you ***** brain idiot. Do you want to get brain damaged, if something goes wrong?
        • brownr21, on 04/13/2008, -1/+3Someone's never played deus ex. Augmentation FTFW.
      • Hetman, on 04/13/2008, -3/+1People say the same thing about eye laser surgery. Its your eyes do you want them damaged? The facts are lasik eyes surgery is one of the safest surgery's you can have. And I have seen it work very well on a friend with bad eye sight. I thought he had a moral objection to enhancing his brain not a problem with surgery. Obviously if the surgery does not work well no one will get it.
        • schnikies79, on 04/13/2008, -1/+6Lasik corrects a problem, poor eyesight. It's not to give you a zoom lens in your eye or something else you couldn't have naturally. It's not an upgrade, it's a repair.

          Thats the difference.
        • Hananda, on 04/13/2008, -2/+2Laser eye surgery can and has been used to improve vision beyond what is normally possible for the average person.
        • Hetman, on 04/13/2008, -1/+2We have been upgrading ourselves since it was possible to. Be it clothing, weapons, vaccines and medicines, vehicles, communication devices, binoculars etc. What is the difference. You have a problem with the technology itself, or the technology being inside your body.
          • schnikies79, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1I have no problem with those because I can take them off at the end of the day. I can unplug when I want.

            If I can't unplug at will, I don't want it
          • janne1, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1I have a problem with the competency of the people who would make the chip, as well as their intentions.
    • endrest, on 04/13/2008, -1/+6I dug you because I thought the same way, initially, upon reading the head and subheading. But I have to say, "Would you say the same thing if a doctor told you that a pacemaker would calm the palpitations that were making you dizzy?"
      Yeah, it's a difficult decision to make --especially since people figured out ways to wirelessly hack pacemakers (slashdot.org)!
      I'd say death (or a changed diet) before I'd stick (sic?) certain technologies (even pharmaceuticals/treatments) to my body.
      • schnikies79, on 04/13/2008, -1/+2I said unnecessary because if it was something like a pacemaker or prosthetic limb, then that is okay.

        I would never have something permanently attached or implanted for the sake of upgrading, only repairing or correcting.
    • bertd, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2I dug the why comment up, because he's spot on. If we use braces, pacemakers etc. then why would this be out of the question? And why would you not insert a piece of electronics in your brain, because "its unnecessary"? The article clearly argued for profound and positive influences.
  • LordSkywalker, on 04/12/2008, -0/+25Few years after it hits the market: Execute Order 66.
    • eyepatch100, on 04/13/2008, -0/+0Cuz those jedi would never see it coming...?
  • SilverBlade2k, on 04/12/2008, -3/+14This would be incredibly useful for everyone. Especially people with Alzheimer's disease.

    But think about it...imagine having the ability to read anything and everything, and retain it all to recall at anytime with near 100% accuracy? Studying wouldn't be a pain anymore. This would also throw out the whole idea of 'schools' if anyone at anytime can read a whole medical textbook and then can become a doctor.

    BUT wait!..the content providers would truly hate to see this happen, as this is akin to photocopying pages of a book.
    • hmac, on 04/12/2008, -1/+16Even if you memorized every medical textbook out there, that doesn't mean that you'd be able to apply it to an actual medical practice; practical knowledge is far different than factual knowledge.
    • Vironex, on 04/13/2008, -3/+1I like your dream-big attitude. I could use a guy like you at the firm.
    • Metasquares, on 04/13/2008, -0/+3Knowledge is not the issue, or every researcher working in the medical field could become a doctor.

      This is even less true in fields such as programming. Memorizing every keyword in a language would be useless unless you figured out how to use them. And you couldn't do that without sufficient experience where you would have memorized the language anyway!
      • IronPwnage, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2What if you memorise every tutorial on programming, also it would certainly help to learn a programming lanuage, Just flip through the book and you're done.
    • Hraes, on 04/13/2008, -1/+2One more papercut on intellectual property's damaged body. Its death is inevitable. Why can't we accept that?
    • selkie, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2That's pretty cool, imagine you're passing by an accident, and you know that everyone can help... oh wait a minute... :)
      • johnsmith3210, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1OMG That was the funniest ***** I've read today. It totally caught me off guard. XD
  • ShawnIsCool, on 04/12/2008, -2/+8No need to memorize your friends girlfriend when you can just take virtual snapshots, eh?
  • RAEP, on 04/12/2008, -4/+9My Brian is none of your business.
  • ItsMyWii, on 04/12/2008, -3/+8To answer the question honestly, probably up to $50,000.
  • kinseyincanada, on 04/12/2008, -1/+34*just wakes up tries to open eyes "please install real player 7"
  • MostNutsEver, on 04/12/2008, -4/+1How was this published a day in the future? :o
    • D3koy, on 04/12/2008, -0/+9Guess what gets discovered tonight? A TIME MACHINE!!!
    • emyo, on 04/13/2008, -1/+1not that there are other countries outside of US.
  • protodon, on 04/12/2008, -5/+9I think the real question at this point is how much would you pay me to implant a chip into my brain.
  • KingPsyz, on 04/12/2008, -1/+20It's bad enough when people throw spelling out the window on the comments, but when submitting an article please take the extra 1/2 second to proof read...
    • JasonMath, on 04/13/2008, -1/+2By the way, you should also check your comments. It's proofread, not proof read.
    • ChromaVita, on 04/13/2008, -0/+3If you take that extra 1/2 second, Mr. Babyman will beat you to it!
      • bingobongony, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2Nahhh...that is only if it was already on reddit.
    • B3000, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1Buried for not proofreading your rant about other people not proofreading. (JasonMath is right - it is one word)
    • TheGuessWho, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1I am sorry guys! I should have double checked...I emailed digg and they fixed the title for me. Sorry!

      (I seriously need that chip :s)
  • Riggs, on 04/12/2008, -2/+6Sounds like a great idea to me. Imagine if they could expand on this idea and you could just do a google search in your head. Incredible.
  • d0ugfunny, on 04/12/2008, -3/+11What if you get a virus?
    • Gloogle, on 04/13/2008, -0/+4You die!
      • ChefAnubis, on 04/13/2008, -0/+2exacly the same as if you get a regular biological virus
    • brad016, on 04/13/2008, -0/+1it wouldn;t have any I/O like UBS or ETHERNET and wouldn't run Windows, so no chance of a virus, linux maybe
  • Rendered69, on 04/12/2008, -1/+16I can finally study and not forget the information on a test.
    • krnldmp, on 04/12/2008, -7/+2Some dumbass, who thinks technology isn't supposed to eventually fix the problematic fact that remembering ***** is hard for unaugmented humans to do, buried your post.
    • carpespasm, on 04/13/2008, -0/+10hmm. think of the implications of that. Instead of going to school to learn facts and equations, if you got this sort of thing implanted at a very early age you would probably go to school more to learn how to harness the wikipedia that's open and in your mind. tie it together with a good wimax connection and we are the borg.
      • TrevorPace, on 04/13/2008, -0/+5you bring up a good point...if it can help it remember things...surely it can help you learn things.

        People could learn calculus in a second...just by downloading it.
    • PueSi, on 04/13/2008, -1/+4Imagine how amazing it would be if you could just plug your "brian" on a machine and learn everything you want, just like The Matrix. Schools would probably find some way to screw us out of our money though.
      • loquax, on 04/13/2008, -0/+6I'd rather hook up my Jimmy than my Brian. ;) Seriously though, do you want the same people who mess up sending your transcripts putting memories directly into your head?
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