Cyborg Beetles (honest)

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

A colleague of mine brought this to my attention and I felt I had to share it.

It looks like it really is possible to create cyborg beetles for espionage purposes.

Apparently by implanting electrodes before they pupate (sp.?) then the beetle grows around the electrodes and accomodates them. It can then be controlled.

While amazed at the technology, I find it mildly disturbing as this could in theory be applied to other animals and perhaps one day people. The idea of remote controlled cyborg assassins is no longer confined to sci fi, it is a near possibility.

Any body else got an opinion on this? I didn’t put in in GD, because I doubt this will generate much debate.

2

It’s possible to create them, but they haven’t finished their testing yet.

Doesn’t sound near at all to me - they’re not sure it works on the beetles and I think the human nervous system is a lot more complex.

3

Somewhere, Mary Shelley is rolling over in her grave, trying to warn us.

4

I guess what you say is true, the human nervous system is much more complicated and we don’t go through a larval cycle so it may be difficult to implant electrodes without danger of rejection or infection.

The actual paper by Sato et al gives more details and it appears to have worked quite succesfully, since it was published originally in Jan 2008, I guess things have moved on a bit since then.

We discussed this at work yesterday and were trying to consider the ethical implications of the work. In a few years it may be possible to use small insects as spies with micro cameras or microphones under remote control. Since this work is in the public domain, it makes you wonder if the intelligence agencies have funded other work not yet published.

5

An implant of comparable scale would also be very, very conspicuous on a person. :wink:

Well, it’s like I always say - if you can’t trust governments to use their spying powers ethically, who can you trust?

6

I’d wager my life it hasn’t just been given up to the public domain.

7

Before you know it, someone will be spreading the rumor that Cyborg-Paul is dead…

8

As long as human gestation and growth don’t include a pupa phase I think we are safe.

9

Fly, my pretties, fly.

10

A wonderful thread/user/post combo! :slight_smile:

11

What if they use the Beetles as assasins? Implant teeny tiny bombs. Of have them fly in the face of your plane’s pilot, or something?

12

neat!

13

Better check that guy in the cube down the hall… he hasn’t moved since Tuesday.

14

Ooooh, the OP then does explain **at last **why the Wicked Witch of the East said “I sent a little insect on ahead to take the fight out of them!” *

  • Yes, I already know why she did say that in the movie.
15

Instead, she’s spinning a turbine powering the research plant. Irony makes her spin faster and harder, so this is entirely sustainable.

16

Damn you. I now have theBeetleborgtheme song as an earworm.

17

Great, I can be the first to say it for a change…

I for one welcome our cyborg beetle overlords