Summary: Two monkeys were able to learn to perform specific movements in response to microelectrode stimulation at corresponding (arbitrarily chosen) loci in the premotor cortex. The stimulation was too low to directly drive muscle movements.<p>The brain can learn to recognize signals from cochlear implants and other neuroprosthetics, and this study shows that monkeys can also learn to recognize signals from deeper implants. Note that previous studies have suggested that the premotor cortex has a role in associating stimuli and movements: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premotor_cortex#PMDr(F7)" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premotor_cortex#PMDr(F7)</a><p>The researchers speculate that the stimulation "may have evoked somatosensory and/or visual percepts, desires to move particular body parts, or other internal urges or thoughts, any of which the monkeys could have used as instructions".
I think the title is misleading. Quite highly. They didn't inject information.<p>They injected stimuli for some sensation, and monkeys learned how to interpret it.<p>So, what they did is they gave monkeys spidey senses, which they could trigger. And would make equally catchy title.
Science should foremost follow a moral and ethical attitude instead of just trying out what seems to be possible. Who gives them the right to destroy the brain of an ape for dubious activities. More empathy please if science should take us somewhere better.
"Now, imagine that you had a device implanted in your brain that could shortcut the pathway and “inject” information straight into your premotor cortex."<p>"you" just "imagine"<p>Like "you" made it and had top-to-bottom control if it's makeup. Does it come with encrypted microcode updates? The NYT keeps writing better distillations of itself; clinging the idea that they [frame] tomorrow.<p><a href="https://i.imgur.com/VUdcIou.jpg" rel="nofollow">https://i.imgur.com/VUdcIou.jpg</a><p>I should stop, it's just for stroke patients and people who need it anyway. Why worry? Litho masks are a trade secret. Only technophobes want disabled people to have outdated chips.