Posted on 07/19/2019 11:36:44 AM PDT by BenLurkin
For this experiment, the researchers used a technique called optogenetics — essentially, the insertion of light-sensitive genes into an animal's brain that cause certain neurons to fire when exposed to certain wavelengths of light.
The technique has been used in previous studies to turn mice into hunger-mad "zombies" and to help rats kick their cocaine habit. Here, it was used to learn how mice's brains respond when shown various patterns of horizontal and vertical lines — and to see if those neural responses could be re-created purely by pulsing small groups of neurons with targeted light.
The researchers accomplished this task by carving a literal window into the mice's skulls (complete with transparent glass pane and everything). This surgery exposed the visual cortex...The scientists also inserted genes into the mice to produce two different proteins, one that caused neurons to glow green whenever they were activated and another that caused neurons to fire when exposed to a specific infrared laser light.
researchers showed the mice a pattern of moving parallel lines and trained them to lick a water spout when the lines were perfectly vertical or perfectly horizontal. Thanks to the green-glowing proteins, the scientists saw exactly which neurons fired when the mice recognized and reacted to the different line orientations. This allowed the researchers to develop a special, 3D "hologram" of laser light that could be fired at precisely the right spots in the mouse brains to target only those neurons involved in recognizing horizontal or vertical lines.
By the end of the experiment, the researchers stopped showing the mice lines altogether — but, when the laser hit the neurons responsible for seeing horizontal or vertical lines, the mice still reacted by licking the appropriate water spout.
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
Well, there was a time at Woodstock........................
This is what happens when researchers experiment with drugs.
It’s also what happens when freepers experiment with drugs. They post things and say “ignore the headline”, like that will ever happen. Maybe in their hallucinations.
those poor mice
ditto
LOL!
re: “It’s a Mystery Why We Are Not Constantly Hallucinating, Trippy New Study Suggests”
These people do not dream.
“Why aren’t mice (and humans) constantly tripping out?”
Because they don’t normally walk around with a hole in their head, artificial light-producing neurons, and wires dangling with insane “scientists” drooling over the insane results.
By the end of the experiment, the researchers stopped showing the liberals lines altogether — but, when the laser hit the neurons responsible for seeing racism, the mice still reacted by licking the appropriate left hand.
See, tin foil hats do work.
Seems simple enough.. we are not mice. How much taxpayer funding did they waste on this one?
I think it is a bigger mystery that those studies are funded.
not many for leftard delusions it seems
Oddly, I haven’t ever licked a water spout.
Because it's not the 70s? ;^)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.