4 ms·

Neurostimulation: Hacking your brain

49 points by chvid 12y ago

wz1000 12y ago
Interesting. The psychedilic and nootropics culture could also be described as having "Hacking the brain" as one of its essences.
- chvid 12y ago
  Yes. Only this is very simple technology to make: http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Human-Enhancement-Device-Basic-tDCS-Suppl/?ALLSTEPS http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Human-Enhancement-De...
Mahn 12y ago
What are the long term effects of this? Wouldn't you risk damaging your brain if you shocked it regularly?
- glial 12y ago
  Nobody knows. Nobody even really knows how this works yet.
  - Balgair 12y ago
    On this, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) got through the FDA on special humanitarian permission. The effects of continuously electrically stimulating nuclei (the substansia nigra for Parkinson's DBS patients) are not known, but there is some evidence that the patients have to up the amperage and voltage over time. The reason is unknown, it could be due to death of neurons, or downregulation of the ion pumps in the cells, we just don't know. What we do know, is that for DBS patients, it is better than the alternative of the tremors and stress. Really, that is most of medicine in the end. It's kinda ritual. For a long time, we didn't know that silver or copper was antibacterial, but we knew that if you ate with it, you would get less sick, same with pewter pots leaching out lead with acidic compounds in the food.
    - glial 12y ago
      This is not surprising at all - watching a video[1] of DBS is very moving. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO3C6iTpSGo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO3C6iTpSGo
arvinjoar 12y ago
I highly recommend this radiolab episode about it: http://www.radiolab.org/story/9-volt-nirvana/ http://www.radiolab.org/story/9-volt-nirvana/ for the story-telling if nothing else. :)
- Apofis 12y ago
  Great episode. It seems to really work for a short period. Kind of like a reboot for the brain. A pretty large community has sprung up around this. Love Radiolab, they always bring these kinds of things to me while I fall asleep. Podcasts are the greatest sleepaid ever, learn things while you fall asleep.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]

49 points by chvid 12y ago

Interesting. The psychedilic and nootropics culture could also be described as having "Hacking the brain" as one of its essences.

chvid 12y ago
Yes. Only this is very simple technology to make: http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Human-Enhancement-Device-Basic-tDCS-Suppl/?ALLSTEPS http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Human-Enhancement-De...

Mahn 12y ago

What are the long term effects of this? Wouldn't you risk damaging your brain if you shocked it regularly?

glial 12y ago
Nobody knows. Nobody even really knows how this works yet.
- Balgair 12y ago
  On this, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) got through the FDA on special humanitarian permission. The effects of continuously electrically stimulating nuclei (the substansia nigra for Parkinson's DBS patients) are not known, but there is some evidence that the patients have to up the amperage and voltage over time. The reason is unknown, it could be due to death of neurons, or downregulation of the ion pumps in the cells, we just don't know. What we do know, is that for DBS patients, it is better than the alternative of the tremors and stress. Really, that is most of medicine in the end. It's kinda ritual. For a long time, we didn't know that silver or copper was antibacterial, but we knew that if you ate with it, you would get less sick, same with pewter pots leaching out lead with acidic compounds in the food.
  - glial 12y ago
    This is not surprising at all - watching a video[1] of DBS is very moving. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO3C6iTpSGo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO3C6iTpSGo

arvinjoar 12y ago

I highly recommend this radiolab episode about it: http://www.radiolab.org/story/9-volt-nirvana/ http://www.radiolab.org/story/9-volt-nirvana/ for the story-telling if nothing else. :)

Apofis 12y ago
Great episode. It seems to really work for a short period. Kind of like a reboot for the brain. A pretty large community has sprung up around this. Love Radiolab, they always bring these kinds of things to me while I fall asleep. Podcasts are the greatest sleepaid ever, learn things while you fall asleep.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]