A friend sent me a link about some research being done at Harvard.
Apparently, they have manages to hook the brains of a human and a rat
together, and the human is able to implant a thought to make the rat
move its tail.

Harvard creates brain-to-brain interface, allows humans to control
other animals with thoughts alone | ExtremeTech
<http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/162678-harvard-creates-brain-to-brain-interface-allows-humans-to-control-other-animals-with-thoughts-alone>

This technology is in its infancy, but just think what this might hold
for the future.

I am certain we have all seen a ferret do something funny and wondered
just what the ferret was thinking. I would have no interest in using
this BBI to place thoughts in an animal's brain. Instead, I would want
to know what my ferrets were thinking when they did something odd.

For example, the first 2 ferrets I ever had - way back in 1985, were
a pair of brothers form MF. They had a fascination for the laundry
basket (when it was empty) and were constantly trying to put it behind
a bookshelf in our living room. They would push it over next to the
bookshelf, and then try all sorts of things to put it between the
bookshelf and the wall. They would turn it in different directions,
and when one way didn't work, they would survey the situation and try
something else. Sometimes they would both be trying to push it in the
space between the wall and bookshelf, and other times they would try
pulling it in. They would even split so one was pushing and the other
pulling. I would have loved to know just what they were thinking, and
why they thought such a big item might fit into such a tiny space.

And, of course, there have been other times I have scratched my head
and said to myself, "what in the world are they thinking". Currently,
I have O'Connor, who loves the Riki Tiki snakes. He collects them, but
before they can join his collection he removes the little jingle ball
located near the end of the tail. Is he castrating them? He has been
neutered, so maybe he wants his snakes to share the same condition.

But, that is only the beginning. When he is out, he will take his
snakes into my bathroom and line them up neatly along the edge of the
shower stall. I will come into the bathroom and find 6 or 7 snakes
along the wall, all positioned the same way. He will also sometimes
take kibble out of the bowl and line it up. He won't eat kibble, so
maybe he feels this is the purpose of my putting kibble into his cage.

Anyway, I imagine it will be 10 or 20 years before the technology is
far enough along to allow us to read another's thoughts, but won't it
be fun to know what our ferrets are thinking?

Danee DeVore
ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested, you don't know!
See - http://www.ferretadv.com/
Owner of The Clay Ferret
Quality Kits Raised With Love
Color Logo TCF

[Posted in FML 7870]