5 Sci-Fi Brain Hacks That Could Become a Reality
Possible Brain Hacks for the Future
Real-Life Possibilities of Sci-Fi Brain Hacks
How Science Fiction is Becoming Science Fact
Exciting Brain Enhancements for the Future

Science fiction has been fascinated with the idea of enhancing or hacking the human brain for decades. Many of us have watched movies, TV shows, or read novels where characters possess futuristic technologies that augment their intelligence and increase their productivity. However, what once seemed impossible is slowly becoming science fact. Here are five sci-fi brain hacks that modern science is making possible.

1. Stop Sleeping to Increase Your Productivity

As seen in the science fiction novel “Beggars in Spain” by Nancy Kress, the ruling class are the “Sleepless.” Genetically modified humans who no longer feel the need for sleep and use their extra time to create goods and earn more money. This kind of thing is just science fiction, right? Not entirely. In 2008, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) developed a drug that replaces sleep. The drug takes the form of a nasal spray and contains certain hormones that eliminate the body’s craving for sleep. This wonder drug promises to increase productivity and reduce sleepiness without causing edginess. However, the idea of not getting enough sleep is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders, as per the director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research.

2. Controlling Intelligence in the Womb

In Aldous Huxley’s novel “Brave New World,” each batch of humans is given a grade from Alpha to Epsilon, and their intelligence is altered accordingly. While we are a long way from hatchery technology, solid pre-natal nutrition and genetic testing can help parents give their child the best possible chance of becoming intelligent. Parents looking to give their unborn child extra help also turn to “the Mozart Effect.” The belief that playing classical music for a baby in the womb can increase its intelligence does have some scientific basis and was first brought to the attention of the general public after being mentioned in a 1993 journal “Nature.”

3. Altering or Retrieving Memories

In the indie sci-fi flick “Sleep Dealer,” a woman sells her memories, which can then be uploaded into other people’s minds. While altering or retrieving memories in this fashion seems far-fetched, a Wired article hints at a technology for boosting or retrieving memories using a PDA in the future. Researchers have found a mental signature that predicts whether an experience will be remembered. Once deciphered, the signals could be used to help people know when their brains are primed to remember.

4. Brain-Computer Interface Chips

On the TV show “Fringe,” the team encountered a man with a Brain-Computer Interface Chip. These types of chips do exist in real life. According to Dr. David Carley, they have even been used on humans. For example, deep-brain-stimulating electrodes have been used in an attempt to treat intractable epilepsy. However, BCIs have not been used to control sleep cycles.

5. Brain Treatments to Reverse Mental Handicaps

In the film “The Lawnmower Man,” a doctor uses drugs, virtual reality treatments, and direct brain stimulation to increase the intelligence of a handicapped man. While telepathy is off the table, researchers at MIT have been able to reverse Fragile X syndrome in mice. Fragile X is one cause of both autism and mental deficiency. The researchers, based at MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, targeted an enzyme called PAK that affects the number, size, and shape of connections between brain cells.

In conclusion, modern scientific research is working on making science fiction concepts real. While some of these ideas seem far-fetched, the science behind them is valid and shows that anything is possible with advancements in technology and dedicated research. Whether it’s the idea of not sleeping, controlling intelligence in the womb, or reversing mental handicaps, these sci-fi brain hacks could become a reality in the future.