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Wednesday February 28, 2007
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Scientists have become the ultimate back-seat drivers when it comes to pigeon road trips. Chinese scientists have figured out how to control the flight of pigeons with microelectrodes planted in the bird's brains. By mimicking the natural signals in the pigeon's brains, the scientists were able to force the birds to fly left, ride, up and down while the electrode signals were altered through a computer.
Does this mean carrier pigeons may soon come back in style? Will governments create WMD's (Weapons of Minor Disturbance) through controlled pigeon dropping raids? The scientists are currently engaged in refining the technology and hope to put it to use in the future. However, time will tell if this new generation of bird will be used for the benefit of mankind or for more sinister purposes. [via Earth Times]
[Special thanks to Gabriella Murphy for the bionic pigeon photo-edit]
Post by Andre Bermudez
Posted By:
Gearlog
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March 1, 2007 7:48 AM
The Chinese and Japanese have no morals about slaughtering or operating on defenceless creatures - I just wish some aliens would land on this Earth (preferably in China or Japan) and start inserting electrical probes into human brains in the name of material science. Now that would be great, and they would most certainly deserve what they get (what goes around, comes around)!
March 1, 2007 4:56 PM
Why are we so frustrated and jealous when technology comes from east (with good philosophy too). Electrical or chemical probes are not new. US and Europ started researches just after WWII.
Now, trying to control humans or animals is not new neither, this was called taming, selection, hypnosis. Still working.
Now, the wish to control (and computers sometime fall into it) is a neurosis not a proof of progress.
Is control possible? Well, you can pretend, for a while, up to certain extend, domain. But the turth is you live in a free world where life is not a predictable data.
We don't know what face we'll have tomorrow morning and what will be the weather. One thing is sure, birds (and pegeons are our co-citizens) will always shit on us, sometime. Thank you
March 1, 2007 5:56 PM
I think it's a secret plot by the Chinese military to use pigeons in battle -- think about it -- they can send swarms of pigeons to attack their enemies or confuse the enemy's radar systems....
May 1, 2007 5:36 PM
I am not religious by any means, but I think this could be the end of the world. Imagine if 100,000 or even millions of these birds were fitted with some sort of explosive and chemical concotion and flown into the U.S or any other country. Even worse would be to infect birds with some disease and have them all drop dead in some major water supplies. I understand it is a little far fetched but so were a lot of things before they were done. Like flying planes into a building.