Home » Psychology news » Using precisely-targeted lasers, researchers manipulate neurons in worms’ brains and take control of their behavior
Using precisely-targeted lasers, researchers manipulate neurons in worms’ brains and take control of their behavior
September 24, 2012 by NewsBot
In the quest to understand how the brain turns sensory input into behavior, Harvard scientists have crossed a major threshold. Using precisely-targeted lasers, researchers have been able to take over an animal's brain, instruct it to turn in any direction they choose, and even to implant false sensory information, fooling the animal into thinking food was nearby.