Futuristic Brain Implants: Review of the Series "Black Mirror"

Black Mirror is a  British Sci-Fi series created by Charlie Booker which explores diverse day-to-day topics from our obsession with social media (Nosedive, Series 3 Episode 1) to things which we can't even imagine, like placing a person's consciousness in a physical object (Black Museum, Series 4  Episode 6)! They often delve into neuroscience in the not-so-distant future, in particular, the ways in which different sorts of technology change the way that we think and behave.
 

Spoilers ahead!

The episode The Entire History of You (Series 1 Episode 3) is set in an alternate reality where people can have a 'grain' implanted to record every moment of their lives and replay memories on a screen whenever they want. However, replaying memories becomes a nightmare, such as for a man who finds out about his wife's affair! Perhaps forgetting is blessing in disguise! I found the episode Crocodile (Series 4 Episode 3) thrilling, and I am sure this will keep you at the edge of your seat! The main character witnesses a road accident and is interviewed by the insurance company as a witness. During the witness interrogation, the investigator uses a memory recaller device to look at the recent memories of her interview partner. As the main character had previously committed a crime, she fears it will be revealed when the recaller scans her memories, so she starts a string of murders to cover up her crime. The best part is the climax-  with the police turning to a pet guinea pig as witness!

 Welcome to neuroscience in the not-so-distant future

The series has made me thinking about aspects of neuroscience, and there are still many unanswered questions. Could the guinea pig or other animals have better memory recall or intelligence than us, human beings? Or could a memory recall device be feasible in the near future? (It would be great to have, especially to quote papers during lab meetings that you have read and forgotten!) Of course, this would necessitate that we first understand how memory is encoded or replayed. Having consciousness transferred to a physical object poses also the big question: Where is consciousness located in the first place? The reality is that we are far from understanding these problems. This is why we have an exciting time ahead of us to learn more about the brain and invent futuristic devices. For those who have not seen Black Mirror, I would definitely recommend it.

Aarti Swaminathan
PhD Student, AG Schmitz





This article originally appeared June 2018 in CNS Volume 11, Issue 2, Brain Invasion