I write a weekly blog for my class at UNCC called Science, Technology and Society. This is one I wrote this week and i thought it was an especially interesting topic. I have to come up with a new topic every week so if you have suggestions, please let me know. The only criteria is that it has to be related to a way science and technology are impacting society and it has to be recent. Anyway, enjoy.
When I was in High School, psychology was considered a “social studies” course, not a science. Why? Possibly because the people in charge of categorizing classes didn’t understand what psychology was really all about. We learned plenty of science concerning the brain, especially when covering the biological perspective of psychology, and while there are definitely social topics, such as behaviorism, but science was a big part of it. Regardless of what type of course it was considered at my high school, psychology is very much a scientific field these days, and what we are learning about the human brain is astounding. One topic I remember learning about in psychology class was mirror neurons. Basically, mirror neurons show us that the same neurons in the brain fire when we are watching/thinking about an action as when we are actually performing an action. For example, when you watch someone throw a ball, the brain activity is very similar to if you were actually throwing the ball yourself. This explains why the pornography industry is so successful now that pornographic videos are so readily available on the Internet, as discussed here: http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2006/09/the_neurocience_of_porn.php Maybe the porn industry has come to realize this and is now taking advantage of the fact that the human brain is basically having sex when it is being watched, and they have capitalized on it, making it a multi-billion dollar per year industry.
Believe it or not, this knowledge of mirror neurons is actually being applied to do some good as well. Brain-computer interfaces have been around for a few years, but recently the applications of this knowledge have become quite exciting. The interfaces read brainwaves and translate them into action, such as moving a computer mouse. If you think up, the mouse moves up. Sounds like something in a SciFi flick to me, but it’s true! Now a quadriplegic can surf the Internet using nothing but his brain if this technology is refined enough. http://www.livescience.com/health/050317_brain_interface.html
This technology has been recently applied to wheel chairs, as discussed in this article: http://usfweb3.usf.edu/absolutenm/templates/?a=1130&z=41 I read about this on engadget, a technology blog that notifies readers of new technologies, here: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/07/usf-scientists-develop-brainwave-controlled-wheel-chair/
Toy manufacturers have already started using the technology in children’s toys like this one: http://www.canada.com/technology/gaming/Breakthrough+read+your+mind+move+objects/1155673/story.html Sorry, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to let my kid start playing with mind controlled games. He or she may start thinking they are actually an X-men character or a hero from Heroes.
Who knows, one day our computers may have no mouse or keyboard, just a bluetooth enabled headband that reads your brain waves. Using a keyboard and mouse would be like using a mouse with a little ball inside 
- old school. The potential for application of this technology can and probably will change our society. Lets just hope it doesn’t get out of hand.