Ellyn Paris 

Mr. Ippolito

Current Event 7

11/4/19

Martone, Robert. “Scientists Demonstrate Direct Brain-to-Brain Communication in Humans.” Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2019.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-demonstrate-direct-brain-to-brain-communication-in-humans/

In this article, the possibility of direct brain-to-brain communication in humanity’s future was discussed. This type of communication would be a way for the human species to provide information to another being through the transmission of their brain’s electrical activity. Miguel Nicolelis, a leading scientist in this field, used complex implanted electrodes on rats to study the communication that could be transferred from one rat’s brain to another. It was discovered that the linked animals synchronized the electrical activity of their nerve cells as if it were one brain. This connection allowed them to be “smarter” (they outperformed other rates in specific activities). Similar experiences were tested on humans, where three individuals sitting in different rooms were “linked” while playing a video game, and their brains’ response to this collaboration was recorded using EEGs (electroencephalographs). They were able to complete the video game while achieving an accuracy rate of 80%. While these experiments focus on the connecting of brains for individuals of the same species, studies have been done connecting organisms of different species. In one experiment, a human was able to control a rat that had a surgically implanted brain interface. 

While brain-to-brain communication is not yet developed enough to be used in daily life, the importance of these new discoveries could have an important impact on society. First of all, as Nicolelis explains, “thoughts and feelings would be completely shared with none of the selectivity or deception that language permits” (Martone, 3). Misunderstandings and miscommunications would be avoided. While these impacts are more personal and individual, brain-to-brain communication could have influential powers on a wider scale. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency wishes to use these findings to develop an implantable neural interface that could activate one million nerve cells simultaneously. Although some anticipate development in this field in the hopes that it could improve our society, others are concerned by it. They question the morality of brain-to-brain communications, wondering if it could potentially compromise somebody’s individuality and privacy. 

This article’s main strength is its ability to fascinate the readers and convince them to continue learning about this subject. The topic is interesting on its own, but the author’s writing intrigues the reader to read until the end. The vocabulary is easy to understand, and there are many examples of studies and experiments that back up the main theme of the article. However, these experiments and studies are not always cited. Nicolelis is given credit at the beginning for a set of experiments, but as the writing develops and more experiments are mentioned, the scientists or universities behind the experiments are not cited. To improve this article, Martone should cite all his sources when writing about them. Furthermore, going further into the impact these discoveries could have on society would also improve the article. Although he mentions the government's plans with these findings, he does not explain the impact this would have on the country’s population or the international consequences that could arise.