You're a better person with an…electric hat!?

[image error] Image credit; Zeitnews

The amazing science of electro-chemistry is showing us new ways to enhance our brains for learning. In an enthusiastic article about her experience with the technology of electrical brain stimulation, science journalist Sally Adee shows us a world without that nagging inner voice, constantly chipping away at our hard won confidence — a world of pure and intense focus. How can we achieve this enviable state? Either by deep meditation, or as scientists are now finding out, by wearing an electric thinking cap. Research shows that a band — or in the future a hat, for the fashion conscious — of electrodes, sending a weak current of only a few milliamps of electricity through your brain, improves learning, concentration and even increases our cognitive computation in tasks like mathematics.

Sally Adee's experienced her improved capacity on the shooting range. However, in the future this technology of neural enhancement may find common use outside of the military and enter normal society. Because of this, bio-ethicists are already having a field day with the implications of human enhancement, but the supporters of transhumanism – who want to 'transcend' our biological limits through technology – are of course elated with these results.

Who knows, in a few years time, our teenagers will be in school wearing all sorts of hip hats, bands and wigs with some tiny batteries and nearly invisible electrodes, living a neurosis-free life of easy learning and enhanced smarts. On the other hand, will those who are brilliantly evil now, be even more brilliant at being evil after wearing one of these thinking caps…? Cue dramatic music. Also, how would an overdose of this 'drug' look? A bit crisp?

Check out Sally's personal article on the experience on her blog and read her New Scientist article explaining more about the technology.