# Implant Microchip **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [November 23, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/implant-microchip/641897 "2012-11-23T14:57:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![johnnyjohnjohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@johnnyjohnjohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnnyjohnjohn)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/implant-microchip/641897/1 "2012-11-23T14:57:59Z")
T.Swanson is crazy ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/implant-microchip/641897/2 "2012-11-23T15:07:58Z")
And this pertains to which column? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/implant-microchip/641897/3 "2012-11-23T15:37:57Z")
Is it possible to implant a microchip in somebody’s brain to control their thoughts? [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/964/is-it-possible-to-implant-a-microchip-in-somebodys-brain-to-control-their-thoughts](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/964/is-it-possible-to-implant-a-microchip-in-somebodys-brain-to-control-their-thoughts) ---
**Author:** ![johnnyjohnjohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@johnnyjohnjohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnnyjohnjohn)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/implant-microchip/641897/4 "2012-11-23T16:35:18Z")
It pertains to the subject that is stated. You must be Swansons twin brother. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/implant-microchip/641897/5 "2012-11-23T16:46:31Z")
> [@johnnyjohnjohn](#): > > It pertains to the subject that is stated. You must be Swansons twin brother. It is customary to provide a link to the column you are referring so that others may know what you are talking about. The title of the column in question was “Is it possible to implant a microchip in somebody’s brain to control their thoughts?”, and your one-word title was only “Implant Microchip”. Now that we know what you are talking about, would you mind telling us why you think T. Swanson is crazy? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/implant-microchip/641897/6 "2012-11-24T04:42:40Z")
> [@johnnyjohnjohn](#): > > It pertains to the subject that is stated. You must be Swansons twin brother. Speaking as a Moderator/Administrator of these Boards: (1) Since you’ve said that you think Swanson is crazy, and you are now suggesting someone is a “twin,” I’m reading that as an insult. You need to be made aware that insulting other posters is not permitted on these Message Boards (except in a forum called “The BBQ Pit.”) If you intend to stay here (and we hope you do), you should take a look at the [Rules, Guidelines, and Etiquette](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=562482) of our boards. You’ll be happier and we’ll be happier. (2) Since Cecil did say that T. Swanson was nuts, I’m not sure what you’re commenting? Are you just agreeing? (3) As has been noted, it is considered common courtesy and helpful to other readers to provide a link to the column when starting a thread. There are about a zillion columns in our Archives (well, perhaps only a fantasticillion) and it saves time and keeps us on the same page to provide a link. The thread title is often not sufficient to locate the column. No biggie, now you know, and no need to get annoyed at being corrected. OK? ---
**Author:** ![Oukile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@Oukile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oukile)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/implant-microchip/641897/7 "2012-11-27T23:47:15Z")
Cecil’s column was written in 1996. Neuroscience has accomplished miracles since that time. While it is still not possible to control someone’s thoughts, it is actually possible to make someone hear sounds (and recognize speech) through brain implants ([in the auditory nucleus of the brainstem](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auditory_brainstem_implant)) ! ---
**Author:** ![Dudelazy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecd19e/32.png) [@Dudelazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dudelazy)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/implant-microchip/641897/8 "2012-11-28T06:56:55Z")
And ‘road pricing’ using microchip is a reality for quite some time. ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/implant-microchip/641897/9 "2012-11-28T21:29:10Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > (3) As has been noted, it is considered common courtesy and helpful to other readers to provide a link to the column when starting a thread. There are about a zillion columns in our Archives (well, perhaps only a fantasticillion) and it saves time and keeps us on the same page to provide a link. The thread title is often not sufficient to locate the column. No biggie, now you know, and no need to get annoyed at being corrected. OK? Since you have to post this on like… 2/3rds of the threads in this forum, why don’t you just fix the “discuss this” link on article pages to automatically fill out the the forum post with the URL? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/implant-microchip/641897/10 "2012-11-28T22:05:42Z")
> [@Blakeyrat](#): > > Since you have to post this on like… 2/3rds of the threads in this forum, why don’t you just fix the “discuss this” link on article pages to automatically fill out the the forum post with the URL? Since you already knew that this has been a problem on like… 2/3rds of the threads in this forum, why didn’t you post the link rather than contribute to the problem? ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/implant-microchip/641897/11 "2012-11-28T23:23:37Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Since you already knew that this has been a problem on like… 2/3rds of the threads in this forum, why didn’t you post the link rather than contribute to the problem? Because by the time I read the thread it had already been posted. Or should I have posted it again? Look, I just think it’s doofy to go through the same song and dance a dozen times a day instead of just spending a couple hours and a few lines of PHP and fixing it for good. Nevermind I guess.