|
iPlant
|
About This site was created in November of 2007 to discuss and promote the development of a brain implant regulating monoamines and the reward system in the human brain. Such implants (iPlants) could and should be developed to help motivate human patients perform difficult but beneficial behaviours, such as exercise, learning or reserch (see iPlant programming, safety and ethics). Although the development of iPlants may sound unrealistic (1-3% of deep brain stimulation surgeries currently result in serious complications) it should be noted that use of deep brain stimulation is increasing worldwide, despite the risks. The stigmas associated with disorders of motivation on the one hand and with using brain implants to regulate human motivation on the other have prevented serious discussion about conditional rewarding brain stimulation for human use. The aim of this site is to break this deadlock by producing accessible information about monoamines and the reward system, deep brain stimulation and rewarding brain stimulation, and by promoting a public conversation about the development of iPlants. Everyone is invited and encouraged to discuss, criticise and help shape the details and the cultural framing of this new neuromodulation technology, before it arrives. The site is written and maintained by Christopher Harris, MSc (CV below), who does not currently make profit on the sale of iPlant-merchendise in the online store but would like to, as this would free him up to spend more time developing the site.  Currently, most
commuincations from the public are in the form of comments on the
YouTube channel or on blogs and
forums. Many commentors express strong positive or negative sentiment about some
aspect of the development of iPlants (see graph), while others request
additional information, particularly about
dopamine. The opinions and
concerns raised by the public are used to develop the presentation of the iPlant, particularly the
safety and ethicsand ethics section of the site. Discussion
among members of the Google
Group forum contributed substantially to the initial development of policy
guidelines to answer common concerns, but the forum has since been inactive.
Members of the forum have also contributed translations of the website starting
page, currently available in six languages. Some members distributed printed
material at local universities. Comments on the development of iPlants that
occur off-site, e.g. on private blogs, are picked up by our Google Alerts
web-crawler, which regularly scans the net for use of the term 'iPlant'.
New
texts that include the term are found within 24 hrs and are sometimes linked to in
the sidebar of the website. Many of these external comments generate extensive
discussions of their own.Rapid advances in science and medicine have led to calls for increased public participation in deciding the direction of research (European Commission, 2005; Bucchi & Nerresini, 2004). But while scientists generally value public understanding of science, few accept the need for public participation in the scientific decision-making process (Royal Society, 2006), especially since such participation may involve simplifying and dramatizing complex scientific issues (Maeseele, 2007), and speculating on future research findings, technical applications and their societal impact (Colingridge, 1980). Public participation in science, when it does occur, is often narrowly focused on risk and does not constitute a genuine discussion between citizens and scientists about the values and vision of scientific progress (Maeseele, 2007). Many research institutions also fail to take advantage of the extraordinary interactive opportunities of the internet, and instead use the net merely as a presentation tool (Massoli, 2007). This is particularly troubling at a time when news organizations are drastically reducing their science coverage and citizens are moving to the net as their primary source of information. These problems are clearly present in neuromodulation research. Experts in the field seldom engage in open discussion about future applications and long-term societal impacts of new neuromodulation technologies. Rather, they simply insist on proceeding with care (Bubnoff, 2009; Kringelbach & Aziz, 2008) and "hope we never get too good at this" (Blomstedt, 2008 radio).  Christopher Harris, MSc
Blog: Best before yesterday Email: christopher@iplant.eu 
 
 Employment 11.2008 - Present Associate tutor University of Sussex, UK 09.2007 - 06.2008 Research assistant University of Sussex, UK 06.2006 - 09.2006 Laboratory technician on the Human Protein Atlas Program Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden 06.2005 - 07.2005 Caretaker in psychiatric clinic 140 Danderyd's Hospital, Sweden Education 07.2008 - present DPhil Neuroscience University of Sussex, UK 09.2006 - 09.2007 MSc Cellular and molecular neuroscience University of Sussex, UK 09.2003 - 06.2006 BSc Psychology and philosophy University of Warwick, UK Publications Harris CA, Passaro PA, Kemenes I, Kemenes G, O'Shea M (2010) A Multielectrode Array Analysis of the Snail Brain. Proceedings for the 7th International Meeting on Substrate-Integrated Microelectrode Arrays, part 9:312-313. Harris CA, Passaro PA, Kemenes I, Kemenes G, O'Shea M (2010) Sensory driven multi-neuronal activity and associative learning monitored in an intact CNS on a multielectrode array. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 186(2):171-8. Harris CA, Kilarski LL (2009) A Novel, Web-Based Approach To Public Participation in Neuromodulation Research. International Neuromodulation Society 9th World Conference. (audio, pre-talk video, pdf, ppt) Harris CA (2009) Re-Engineering Our Motivations With Brain Implants. Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies. Passaro P, Harris C, Seth A, O'Shea M and Husbands P (2008, conference abstract). Spike sorting and functional connectivity analysis using self-organizing maps and granger causality. Frontiers in Neuroinformatics. Conference Abstract: Neuroinformatics 2008. Harris CA (2008) Deep brain stimulation and exercise. Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies. Harris CA, Passaro PA, Husbands P, O'Shea M (2008, poster) Novel techniques for multi-electrode array recording of the Lymnaea stagnalis CNS during fictive feeding and appetitive conditioning. Society for Neuroscience, 38th Annual Meeting. Passaro PA, Harris CA, Seth AK, O'Shea M, Husbands P (2008, poster) Functional connectivity, behavioural state, and plasticity analysis of multi-unit electrophysiology data from semi-intact snail brains using self-organizing maps and Granger causality. Society for Neuroscience, 38th Annual Meeting. Harris CA (2008) Why we should develop electronic modulation of monoamines for human use. Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies. Harris CA (2008) Program Yourself. Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies. Passaro PA, Harris CA, Marra V, Kemenes G, Husbands P & O'Shea M (2007, poster) A multi electrode array analysis of the Lymnaea stagnalis feeding system. Society for Neuroscience, 37th Annual Meeting. Grants & awards International Neuromodulation Society Travel Grant, 2009 BBSRC DPhil Studentship Award, 2008-2011 Golden House-Sparrow Award, 31 December 2007 |
|||
|
Connect onnect Follow @iPlant on Twitter Subscribe to the iPlant channel on YouTube Join the iPlant group on FriendFeed Become a fan of the iPlant on Facebook
|
|||
|
Content |
|||
|
Home About Fiction Monoamines and the reward system Rewarding brain stimulation Implant technology iPlant programming Safety and ethics Forum Store Video |
|||
|
Poll |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
Google Friend Connect |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Realtime |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Blog |
|||
|
New questions about the iPlant (February 2010) At the International Neuromodulation Conference in Seoul (September 2009) Does secularism fuck you up? (pt.2, pt.3) (June 2009) What we need to accelerate biomedical research and fight aging (May 2009) I can has freedom and dignity? (April 2009) Using Medtronic's Reclaim implant to generate artificial motivation (March 2009) Wired-article-induced neuroscience rant (March 2009) Riding a bike (December 2008) How compliant do we want our children to be? (December 2008) Thoughts on forks (December 2008) Aging (November 2008) Brainbeat (October 2008) |
|||
|
What the blogs say |
|||
|
The iPlant: Making life easier for the lazy?
(June 2009)
Enogamez iPlant (June 2009) Something Awesome iPlant Brain Implant Advocated for Self-Improvement (June 2009) Technovelgy iPlant - the motivational implant (June 2009) Futurismic A prosthetic motivational system (April 2009) Emerging Ideas Self-determination for the 21st century (April 2009) psique The iPlant (May 2008) Brain Stimulant |
|||
|
Zazzle items |
|||
|
|