Defense Department seeks to implant devices capable of stimulating depressed soldiers’ brains in rea

[unhappycamper]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/28/defense-department-seeks-to-implant-devices-capable-of-stimulating-depressed-soldiers-brains-in-real-time/



Defense Department seeks to implant devices capable of stimulating depressed soldiers’ brains in real-time
By Scott Kaufman
Monday, October 28, 2013 15:36 EDT

The Pentagon’s cutting-edge research agency hopes to use electrical brain implants to treat a variety of mental conditions.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced its Systems-Based Neurotechnology for Emerging Therapies (SUBNETS) initiative this week. Its goal is to discover “the characteristics of distributed neural systems and attempt to develop and apply therapies that incorporate near real-time recording, analysis and stimulation in next-generation devices inspired by current Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS).”

“Deep Brain Stimulation” devices already exists as a therapeutic tool for certain patients who are unresponsive to other therapies. Approximately 100,000 people worldwide currently live with DBS implants, which at this moment are only devices that deliver “electrical stimulation to reduce motor impairment,” but which DARPA believes can also be used to treat depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, Tourette’s, epilepsy, general anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

“If SUBNETS is successful, it will advance neuropsychiatry beyond the realm of dialogue-driven observations and resultant trial and error and into the realm of therapy driven by quantifiable characteristics of neural state,” according to Justin Sanchez, DARPA program manager.

[DetlefK]

1. Is it just me, or does the word "SUBNET" sound like mind-control?

1st Step: Let's implant our soldiers a chip into the brain for therapeutical reasons.

2nd Step: Let's implant our soldiers a chip into the brain to enhance neural performance on the battlefield.

3rd Step: ...

I just had to think about that new twist how the military wants to keep drone-operators from feeling bad about killing innocent people: They will give them a virtual avatar as an assistant.
"The computer-program killed those people! Not me!"
"The chip killed those people! Not me!"

[Victor_c3]

2. Scary stuff

It'll make war easier to wage.

When I was doing my active duty stint in the Army from 2002-2007, it was something like 10-20% of Soldiers deployed to war zones were on some sort of antidepressant or sleep aid. Something to me is alarming about that. So a Soldier goes to combat, becomes traumatized by what they saw and/or did, then gets medication to prevent them from really feeling any of it, slapped on the ass, and thrown back into the fight.

The emotions and feelings Soldiers have in response to committing a fundamentally wrong act like murder is just an obstacle for senior leadership. Once you get rid of those annoying inhibitions Soldiers have to murder, then you can fight and wage more wars.