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Arthur C Clarke (16-12-1917 – 19-3-2008) : the braincap


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One of the great ones died today. Arthur C. Clarke     5,579, the great mind who envisioned the communication satellite and wrote bestsellers like 2001: A Space Odyssey. I really read a lot of his books.

He is also the one who predicted the space lift, which is still an idea many scientists are working on.

Arthur planted the greatest meme in my mind when I was on vacation in Thailand. I picked up a local newsmagazine (printed in English) and read an interview with Arthur C. Clarke. Along a fascinating story he came to the subject of the so called “braincap” which he claimed that would be ready within 10 years.

The “braincap” is a cap you can place on your head and with which you can communicate with other persons without using your voice. The braincap simply reads the parts of your brain that are active when processing input and output, it would, I think, change a lot in human communication and therefore would change the world. You would be able to transfer your ideas (and maybe feelings) a thousand times faster than with your slow speech system. I think think it could possible lead to the end of religion since missing knowledge is the only thing why people “believe” (97% of scientists are atheist).

This idea has stuck with me. I have asked some people with whom I studied Cognitive Science and are still working in this field if it is realizable within 10 years. And most of them clearly said “no”. At this point in time there is not the technology to read the brain that accurate and furthermore it would be close to impossible to read parts of the brain over multiple persons since they would all have brain activities in other parts.

The sad thing is that I lost the magazine with the interview but looking for Google “braincap 9/149” luckily delivers some good background:

2025 Neurological research finally leads to an understanding of all the senses, and direct inputs become possible, bypassing eyes, ears, skin, etc. The inevitable result is the metal “Braincap” of which the 20th century’s Walkman was a primitive precursor. Anyone wearing this helmet, fitting tightly over the skull, can enter a whole universe of experience real or imaginary – and even merge in real-time with other minds. Apart from its use for entertainment and vicarious adventure, the Braincap is a boon to doctors, who can now experience their patients symptoms (suitably attenuated). It also revolutionizes the legal profession; deliberate lying is impossible. As the Braincap can only function properly on a completely bald head, wig-making becomes a major industry. Submit

and…. I found the magazine WITH the interview 1/3,056! and under there some great links among others to http://www.unbehagen.com/wifism/ 6/3,431.

 

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more Clarke News 1/1.

During WW2 Arthur C. Clarke 2/1,163 worked on the British improvement of the RADAR 0/852. Did you ever wonder what they used before there was radar (to detect airplanes)? The so called wartuba’s (via cominganarchy     52K):

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March 20th, 2008