Extra-Credit Bioethics

       Many scientific studies show that if you are studying for a test, the most of the learning occurs while you're asleep because sleep is the time the brain uses for memory consolidation. This same concept was used when scientists implanted false memories into the brains of mice while they were asleep. These memories actually influenced the animal's behavior when it awoke. In order to trick the mice's brains, researches inserted electrodes that targeted two different parts of the brain: the medial forebrain bundle and the hippocampus. The medical forebrain bundle (MFB) is a significant part of our rewards system and the hippocampus serves as our memory and learning central. In the hippocampus there are place cells, which are essentially the GPS of our brains, and are known to "replay" our activity during sleep. Researchers identified these place cells by monitoring neuron activity while allowing the mice to explore new areas. Then, the scientists added the positive and negative factor to each place by giving them rewards in certain areas. After the creatures had fallen asleep, the neuroscientists paired the firing of a selective place cell with the simulation of the MFB. When the animals woke up, they displayed a strong preference for the areas which the electrodes made the mice remember positively. This concept of implanting and recording electrodes directly into an animals brains is an extremely intrusive procedure, making it unlikely that it will ever enter the world of human medicine. Even so, this technology has major benefits for people struggling with addiction, PTSD, or any other memory disorder. I think that the benefits outweigh the costs and that this memory technology could take us far in curing mental disorders. We would have to ensure that the use of this scientific discovery wouldn't get out of hand with people wiping each other's memories and inserting new ones, but as a society I think that we could be capable of keeping any memory procedures confidential. 

<http://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2015/mar/09/false-memories-implanted-into-the-brains-of-sleeping-mice>

Alford, Justine. "Scientists Implant False Memories Into Sleeping Mice."IFLScience. N.p., 10 Mar. 2015. Web. 24 Jan. 2016.

Costandi, Mo. "False Memories Implanted Into the Brains of Sleeping Mice."The Guardian. N.p., 9 Mar. 2015. Web. 24 Jan. 2016.

Noonan, David. "Meet the Two Scientists Who Implanted a False Memory Into a Mouse." Smithsonian. .
Smithsonian Magazine, Nov. 2014. Web. 24 Jan. 2016.