REMEMBER Robo Roach, the cockroach with wires in its brain, which Japanese researchers could drive like a remote-controlled car? The unfortunate insect provided arguably the most vivid demonstration yet that we are starting to conquer the intricacies of the brain – in lower creatures, at least. It is taken for granted that we could never control a human’s behaviour in so crude a way.
Or could we? It is hard to decide whether science or fantasy has come up with the most disturbing ways to tap into the brain. Whether it’s A Clockwork Orange, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest or…
