Imagine experiencing life as a mouse, dog, bird, or fish. A recent article in New Scientist explores a futuristic scenario where science allows us to briefly experience life as another species.
The technology is based on neurobiology. Scientists have made significant progress in understanding the brain. By 2024, they mapped the neural connections of a fly's brain, followed by a mouse's brain. Mammalian brains can even be controlled.
In 2013, researchers connected the brains of two rats using implanted electrodes. This allowed one rat to transmit sensory information to the other, enabling it to perform tasks without direct prompting. This raises ethical questions.
A scientist could connect their brain to a rat's, using wireless electrodes linked to a device in the rat's brain. Closing their eyes, they might see through the rat's eyes. However, rat vision is poor, making the experience disappointing.
A more rewarding experience would require access to more of the animal's brain. This would allow us to feel, taste, and move like the animal. Artificial intelligence could help translate these sensations.
Experiencing flight like a bird is appealing. However, avian brains differ significantly from mammalian brains. Scientists might find more success testing this technology on bats, which are mammals.
Ultimately, scientists may abandon the idea of entering an animal's brain. It could be deemed cruel and immoral. Domestication, whether for farming or companionship, already represents a form of behavioral control over animals.