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Neuromancer speaks about SimStim — a simulated stimulation — in which you experience all five senses through another person. I’d like to say that we’re a little too far from that one, currently. We are, though, closer to achieving a virtual reality (VR) world that could potentially stimulate your senses. VR technology now currently is used in clinical trials as a pain reliever, whether it’s emotional or physical, and has been applied to medical treatments. I’ve included a video that visually explains how it’s applied.
As a biology/pre-med student and neuroscience enthusiast, I feel like we’re so close to making VR an actual stimulation-filled world. Neuroscientists who are interested in VR, and vise-versa, would be able to combine the two ideas to find out how to stimulate a person’s senses via electrodes connected to their brain in a VR headset. I mean it seems like a far-off idea, but we’ve got the foundations laid out already. Neuroscientists can play with basic sensations and incorporate it to the exponentially-growing VR world. Though the VR world seems more cartoon-like than what I’d imagine a finished VR world would look, we can only assume that VR will integrate higher graphics processing units in their headsets.
Electrodes are not necessarily the ones that involve opening your head and deep stimulating your brain, but we COULD get there. Health implications do arise in that case, but the possibilities of SimStim would be much more feasible. Logistically, it seems like there’s a lot to talk about and a lot of ideas that need to be refined, but theoretically — we’re close. Far closer than I had initially thought we were.
childrenshospitalOAK. “Virtual Reality (VR) Pain Relief UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital Oakland.” YouTube, YouTube, 23 Aug. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfLDTfONkMQ.
Posted from Digital 101 by Christy