Imagine a future where we can read people’s minds and see their thoughts on a screen; or where we can edit our memory to forget things at will; or where we can control robots with our mind from far away. Well, there is no need to imagine or to wait for the future because early forms of these technologies already exist today! By looking at the brain, scientists can now see what someone is seeing; delete specific memories in animals; and use brain-computer interfaces to move artificial limbs.
These and many more groundbreaking neurotechnologies are improving at accelerating speed and we will soon be able to do things we can’t even imagine today. These breakthroughs have immense potential applications in healthcare, research and industry, yet they also pose novel challenges. As our society enters the neural age, we must face the emerging ethical questions (e.g., mental privacy, autonomy and identity), social problems (e.g., inequality and misinformation) and legal debates (e.g., rights and regulation).
In this course, we will look at the science behind the latest neurotechnologies: neurons, brains, cognitive processes, neuroimaging and neural decoding (the first kind of mind-reading). We will also explore the associated philosophical and social issues in group discussions and projects.
No scientific background? Don’t worry! This course doesn’t require any previous scientific knowledge and students from all fields of study are encouraged to join. This course will enable you to understand one of the most revolutionary technologies of our time and prepare you for an exciting yet challenging future as humanity learns to engineer the mind.
*2 créditos adicionales debido al idioma.