At the University of California, Berkeley neuroscientists are engaged in activities normally reserved for sci-fi books. They’re using holographic projectors to control the activity of entire groups of neurons at the same time. Though there’s certainly room for abuse, the therapeutic and scientific potential for being able to manipulate the brain in a detailed fashion is certainly great.
Currently, the investigators are able to energize or suppress the firing of dozens of neurons at a rate of hundreds of times per second. In the future, it is hoped (or is it?), that millions of neurons can be manipulated to suppress memories, fight addictions, and overcome numerous neural conditions.
The technology relies on optogenetics, in which special genes are inserted into mice that make neurons respond to light. When a holographic laser is used to project light in a very precise way over groups of such genetically modified neurons, the researchers are able to activate individual neurons in any number of different sets.