Researchers Open Door to Editing Memory

[ophiuchus]

what do you think about this? i came across it in the new york times the other day.


Suppose scientists could erase certain memories by tinkering with a single substance in the brain. Could make you forget a chronic fear, a traumatic loss, even a bad habit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/06/health/research/06brain.html

 

[Space-is-the-Place]

Well, potentially helpful, but I believe that certain bad memories can be seen in a new perspective/mindstate.
In my opinion it's not ethical to fuck with brains and memory

 

[restin]

bad experiences are very useful to learn from. And this shit can be misused so quickly...creating the "perfect human".

 

[mysticwarrior]

bad experiences are very useful to learn from. And this shit can be misused so quickly...creating the "perfect human".

That was exactly what i was thinking. I do also think that they never will find a way, to erase an specific memory and what is proved to be 100% save. I mean for example animal experiments have proved already many times, that after testing and lots of research, that certain meds, did still cause damage.

Of course such an research is quit interesting, but at the same time very dangerous, especially if the research get's done by money makers who rather choose for profit, then for safety. And since those money makers are often the only ones who are able to fund such an research.....

 

[Jeniger]

anyone familiar with the paper, cannabis forgetting and the botany of desire?

i think it provides a wide look on this subject

 

[ophiuchus]

i mean, i think it's definitely unethical, but on the other hand, you know, SOMEONE will carry out this research, regardless of the consensus on it, it's just a matter of time... science is a snowball on a mountain, itll just get bigger and bigger no matter whos looking at it,(and btw does not care if it's being ethical or not) but if we ALL look at it, and study it, maybe we can figure out a way to curve it AROUND the village below, you know?

no one knows the implications of this yet, but do you really think itll get to a point where we are ACTUALLY erasing certain specific targeted memories?? personally i dont think we'll ever figure out the brain that well...

 

[LsDxMdma]

the only benefit i could think of for this is for people with post traumatic stress disorder, or like a raped little girl

 

[Nina_is_alive]

This is some 1984 big brother madness, I think this is has a MUCH higher possibility of abuse than help.
I can just see it being put in the wrong hands
POW's can be made into enemy soldiers
someone could punish you or something by erasing your memories
or maybe like aocraztlike...
like another way to control us through technology of the system


omgI really cant remember what I was just saying! hate when that happens
I really need to catch up on my sleep

if you're looking to get rid of old trauma/heal: honestly hardly anyone does it better than a hypnotist does anyways:]