PLAYING DARPA: THE GLOBAL (RAT’S) BRAIN
Around the turn of the last century, that scientific genius of all scientific geniuses, Nikola Tesla, prophesied of the creation of a vast electronic global network, beaming information from any point on the globe, to any other point. He called it a "global brain," suggesting an emergent "group consciousness" that resulted from the ability of individual humans to connect with each other directly.
In short, Tesla foresaw the Internet.
More recently, co-author Scott deHart and I wrote about the Frankenstein possibilities of human-machine interfaces in Transhumanism: A Grimoire of Alchemical Agendas, and how these, in their turn, might be wired into the internet as well, creating an exponentially more powerful version of what Tesla long ago prophesied. Well, it seems the Victor Frankensteins at DARPA have taken another step in that direction:
Pentagon's DARPA researchers learn to control rat's brain over Internet
The goal of all this, supposedly, is to link human minds in ways that a human intelligence group can solve problems more easily than an individual:
"By linking human brains together, scientists believe they can combine brainpower to solve problems that are too difficult for one person to handle alone, Duke University Medical Center neurobiologist Miguel Nicolelis told Reuters. Nicolelis refers to this link as an “organic computer”, and said scientists will first test it out on monkeys to determine its feasibility."
In other words, today rats, tomorrow primates, and the day after tomorrow, humans. What we're looking at here, I submit, is a kind of secularized, transhumanist version of the communio sanctorum, the "communion of the saints," that mystical eschatological state in Christian doctrine wherein all (sanctified) humans are in a state of absolute individuality and yet absolute communion in love with each other. Many in person, one in intention, thought, and will.
We might call this technological state of affairs the communionem homines, the "communion of humans" brought about by such technological means.
All of which prompts a question, and with the question, an emergent field of scientific exploration in psychology and sociology: to what extent, in such a network, does one retain one's individual identity and personality? Such questions, of course, have already occurred to the rats running their mazes at DARPA, for the implied flip side of their rat-interfaced interneted brains is the creation of a group mentality, a population which, if so interfaced, might be easier to control.... or, one whose mental powers might easy outstrip the ability of elites and technocrats to control. Maybe that's why they're studying all this...
See you on the flip side.
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And pray they don’t use Windows for an operating system….
The Rats are running the show.
Perfect article symbolizing a Rat mentality that is definately on the same wave length , while running these programs. Soon they’ll be ratting each other out all over hell & back. These Rats will soon be having Borgs for breakfast.
You WILL be assimilated !!!!!!!
I still think that the limiting factor of cost will delay universal implementation of all your transhumanist ideas. My guess that limited implementation might be more of the intent, such as in your “Breakaway Civilization.”
The BORG is/are coming! … just saw this youtube yesterday: ‘Mind Meld’ Study Leading to DARPA’s Killer Robot Army [ youtube… /watch?v=mp_HuyNKG3k ]
This report is more disturbing than the RT article Dr. Farrell linked because it goes further to look at the fairly predictable trend of using mind meld AI to link robotic ‘armies’ for autonomous warfare or policing functions. Maybe Kurzweil is right that humans will become superfluous by the end of the century. Maybe the ‘breakaways’ will use them to manage the chip-implanted ‘leftbehinds’.
sorry, awkward link above
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV5rsjAYX80
Check out that Scaramouche in regards to:
Killer Robots.
Outstanding video. Thanks for posting it.
A well written, concise review! … It’s a scary subject, w/ grim prospects, and possible hellish consequences. I’m glad the author emphasizes extreme caution! IMO it would be a mistake to leave out the human element and morality when it comes to proxy killing. Would a ‘code of war’ still apply in such a future where robots are the ‘warriors’? I happened on an article about the necessity for the ‘warrior code’ to protect victor as well as vanquished and to prevent soldiers from becoming monsters. The writer, Shannon French, said that most warrior cultures share the belief that “there is something worse than death, and [that] is to completely lose your humanity” and that the ancient code is still needed. I think we see the results of that today as drone operators are experiencing PTSD. Just to balance it out, I’d like to see a counterpart on trends for positive benefits for humanity 😉 …
Your insight on the warrior’s concern for humanity; added the needed, elixir’s touch.
Thanks.
This looks like something out of Star Terk’s BORG COLLECTIVE RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. Or BRAVE NEW WORLD,1984,The IRON HEEL and other Distopias in fiction the future is here and it’s a nightmare.
Okay, so one rat is running around and then another, they’re in similar states, not quite sure they’re thinking the same.
I’m more interested in the idea that tech is being used to influence the mass psychology of entire regions–eg the civil war in Yugoslavia, the mass killings in Rwanda, convincing the public that the US invading Iraq in 2003 was a good idea. I can’t help but think something was used to induce the actors and public into thinking these are acceptable actions. Recently, Oct 2012, someone seems to have turned on the tech to broadcast the idea that Mitt Romney was going to win the US presidential election, sans vote flipping. That signal faded in about 3 weeks.
And no I’m not just referring what idiots are saying on Sunday morning talk shows, or on the OpEd page of the NYTimes, it’s much more than that.
This guy is such a rat.
civil war in Yugoslavia, the mass killings in Rwanda,
The same poeple you are protecting were behind these atrocities. In Yugoslavia they created one of europe’s most dangerous mafia: the Kosovar mafia which has its heroin production lab at a US militry base called camp Bondsteel. This is where they refine the afghan opium. Rotscum has vast economic ineterests in what used to be called Yugoslavia. Rwanda was also their handy work. Clinton, Poppy (as in heroin) Bush’s drug trafficking sidekick and secret society imperialist Rhodes’ scholar, was caught lying about not knowing what was happening at the start of the massacre.
This is the Internet age. Your tricks are no longer effective at manipulating people. The hangman awaits.
i–
News to me that there was massive drug running in Bosnia, that’s before the Kosovo thing and any US military action there also news to me that some massive drug dealing link in Rwanda.
No, it’s the mass appeal of these ideas, in the case of Rwanda and Bosnia neighbor very suddenly turning on neighbor after years of peace. That doesn’t have anything do with some lie Clinton may or may not have told about Rwanda.
I am no expert, but it is my opinion that no “tech” as you call it is necessary to manipulate what the majority of Americans think, feel, and believe.
The mass media, and religion, and now even that thing called “science,” are all used to propagandize the population.
It’s the old story (from Mark Twain??): it is easy to deceive people, but once deceived, it is very difficult to UNdeceive them. No fancy tech is needed for this (religion from thousands of years ago is proof of this).
I agree totally with every word you stated, bdw- but you forgot to mention the most obvious of “techs” out there: the TV-
God only knows what’s being flashed accross the boob tube screen at such a rate that the conscience mind/eye cannot percieve but the subconscience registers- (not to mention has anyone ever considered the spelling of the word ‘conscience’?- it’s “CON” science!)-
I don’t recall exactly what the device was called anymore (I just remember it began with a “T” and ended with “-o-scope”) but in the ’70s at “selected movie theaters near us” was flashing a Coke commericial at such high speed the message went past the eye but into the subconscience- and Coke sales increaed 40% in those theaters- so what else is now being flashed accross our ever flatter TV screens?-
“it is easy to deceive people… No fancy tech is needed for this”-
you know it, baby- the ‘fancy tech’ has been there for a long time- only the ‘announcements’ about their ‘first’ (cough) implementation are new-
stay well- regards-
Larry in Germany