Scientists Create Implantable Memory, or the Dollhouse Cometh

Scientists Create Implantable Memory, or the Dollhouse Cometh

I recently came across a brief news item about “memory jello”, essentially electronic components that can be placed in the human brain. Hopefully, these have non-nefarious uses, such as assisting people with brain injuries to recover, but if you watched the short-lived “Dollhouse” series, you would likely walk away with a different impression.

Dollhouse was a show that took the concept of implantable memory to a whole new level. In it, “Actives” were people whose brains had been wiped clean, and could be “rented” by someone with the right amount of money. The rented “Active” had memories implanted to fit the engagement. Before you drift to the obvious uses, yes, they were used for the oldest profession in the world, but the show also took pains to illustrate how the technology could be used to create the best possible person for a given job. The best FBI interrogator, the best drug addiction counselor, the best assassin, the best bank robber, all of them could be yours for the right price. While the show only lasted two seasons and did not have the opportunity to get into the “science” part of the “science fiction”, this “memory jello” sounds eerily close.

Now, what happens when you combine memory wiping, high-end escorts, and an unknown political agenda? Well, here’s a quick video overview of what happened in the Dollhouse-verse (warning: SPOILERS for season 1):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR0RRMwEFHY

So what do you think? Is “memory jello” a good idea, or a slippery slope towards world domination? Sound off in the comments!

Via Gearfuse

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About the Author

Zek
Zek has been a gadget fiend for a long time, going back to their first PDA (a Palm M100). They quickly went from researching what PDA to buy to following tech news closely and keeping up with the latest and greatest stuff. They love writing about ebooks because they combine their two favorite activities; reading anything and everything, and talking about fun new tech toys. What could be better?