# Microchips in the Brain

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microchips-in-the-brain/20356>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [May 24, 2000, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microchips-in-the-brain/20356 "2000-05-24T02:09:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Punyon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eada6e/32.png) [@Punyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punyon)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microchips-in-the-brain/20356/1 "2000-05-24T02:09:58Z")

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In seriousness, I’ve heard theories that microchips could be used in the brain to fix severed or damaged nerves. Since both run on electricity, if there were some way to encode a chip with signals the brain could interpret, it could be possible to use such chips to fix such problems as paralysis, damage-induced blindness, damage-induced deafness, or any number of other problems.  
Then again, I’ve heard it said that Christopher Reeves may walk again after a HEAD TRANSPLANT, so my sources may be off…

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microchips-in-the-brain/20356/2 "2000-05-24T05:20:07Z")

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Welcome to the SDMB, and thank you for posting your comment.  
Please include a link to Cecil’s column if it’s on the straight dope web site.  
To include a link, it can be as simple as including the web page location in your post (make sure there is a space **before** and **after** the text of the URL).

Cecil’s column can be found on-line at this link:  
[Is it possible to implant a microchip in somebody’s brain to control their thoughts? (19-Jan-1996)](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_045.html)

The column ( **including** Slug Signorino’s illustration) can also be found on pages 45-47 of Cecil Adams’ book “[_The Straight Drop Tells All_](http://www.straightdope.com/otheroutlets/books.html)”.  
The books can be purchased here:  
[Welcome to the Straight Dope Store](https://securesite.chireader.com/cgi-bin/dopestore/buystuff.bat)