Imagine you could learn a new skill simply by "uploading" it to your brain - no more reading, training or practicing!
You could learn how to play an instrument, how to speak a new language or how to excel at a sport within minutes.
What sounds like a crazy science-fiction scenario is actually in the works already!
The DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), a branch of the US military that's responsible for developing new technologies, has announced last year that they will start a Targeted Neuroplasticity Training (TNT) program.
Their aim currently is to improve and speed up the learning process by activating synaptic plasticity, a stimulation of neuronal connections with electricity.
"DARPA is approaching the study of synaptic plasticity from multiple angles to determine whether there are safe and responsible ways to enhance learning and accelerate training for skills relevant to national security missions." -Doug Weber, Program Manager of TNT
The ultimate goal would be to develop a system to upload skills to your brain, like mentioned above.
Of course this ability could be beneficial for endless situations, but the specific aim for this program is to speed up the learning process for soldiers in the military.
The researchers will compare different invasive and non-invasive techniques like implanted devices, and ethical questions as well as risks and side effects will be taken into consideration as well.
“The Defense Department operates in a complex, interconnected world in which human skills such as communication and analysis are vital, and the Department has long pushed the frontiers of training to maximize those skills. DARPA’s goal with TNT is to further enhance the most effective existing training methods so the men and women of our Armed Forces can operate at their full potential.”-Doug Weber, Program Manager of TNT
The DARPA is currently funding 8 different projects to study brain plasticity and experiment with the technology, all in different areas of research.
The team at the University of Florida for example will research how nerve stimulation effects executive function, decision-making, navigation and perception.
Another research team at Johns Hopkins University explores the effects on speech, hearing and learning new languages.
The Arizona State University on the other hand will use stimulation of the trigeminal nerve to experiment with the effects on sensory, visual and motor functions.
The whole project will have a duration of 5 years, with an aim of a 15% performance increase in the first three years and a 30% increase in the last two years.
The technology is still far from reality, but projects like these show that technology will enhance human skills and capabilities in the future - let's see where that will take us!
Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
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