The Scientific American Brave New Brain: How Neuroscience, Brain-Machine Interfaces, Neuroimaging, Psychopharmacology, Epigenetics, the Internet, and Our Own Minds are Stimulating and Enhancing the Future of Mental Power

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• How partnerships between biological sciences and technology are helping the deaf hear, the blind see, and the paralyzed communicate.
• How our brains can repair and improve themselves, erase traumatic memories
• How we can stay mentally alert longer—and how we may be able to halt or even reverse Alzheimers
• How we can control technology with brain waves, including prosthetic devices, machinery, computers—and even spaceships or clones.
• Insights into how science may cure fatal diseases, and improve our intellectual and physical productivity

Judith Horstman presents a highly informative and entertaining look at the future of your brain, based on articles from Scientific American and Scientific American Mind magazines, and the work of today’s visionary neuroscientists.

1) Wi-Fi Everything
Microchips in or on your brain will enhance memory, store data, and connect wirelessly to the internet, eliminating your cell phone and allowing you to control machines or even clones via mental wi-fi. See Chapter 7: Your Bionic Brain.

2) Cures for Dementia
Advances in neuroscience and bioengineering will render Alzheimer's, some brain damage, depression and perhaps even mental retardation largely preventable, curable and possibly reversible for many. See Chapter 3: Manipulating Your Memory.

3) Better Brain Power
Neuroenhancers - from smart pills to implants and devices––will improve thinking, enhance creativity, relieve depression, erase traumatic memories and boost mental endurance. See Chapter 2: Boosting Your Brain Power.

4) Bionic Brain Parts
Merging humans and machines with bionic or biological spare parts that already restore hearing and give sight to the blind could restore movement and speech to the paralyzed––and give super powers to the healthy. See Chapter 7: Your Bionic Brain.

5) Mind-Reading Brain Scans
Neuroimaging that now "reads" brains to detect disease will be able to accurately detect deception, antisocial tendencies, dangerous inclinations, your preference in sexual partners--and possibly predict your behavior. See Chapter 5: Looking Inside Your Brain.

6) Less Brain Surgery
Nanotechnology – the science of small – will be used to float drugs, chemicals and minuscule surgical instruments into your brain to treat tumors, clots and other traumas, and defective genes and cells will be able to be replaced. See Chapter 8: The Possible Dreams.

7) An Ethical Avalanche
The moral, legal and economic fallout from this amazing new technology will keep lawyers, lawmakers and the courts busy for decades dealing with issues of privacy, fairness, civil rights and even what it means to be human. See Chapter 9: Neuroethics; Facing the Dark Side.

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