Mad Science: Erase Your Bad Memories.

[Superman4ever]

A Pill to Selectively Erase Your Traumatic Memories

In a few years you might have a pill to help you forget your bad breakup just the way Jim Carey did in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. With a high dose of just one enzyme, scientists can now erase very specific memories while you're in the act of recalling them. The enzyme known as CaMKII is linked to learning and memory, and Georgia neuroscientist Joe Z. Tsien and his team used it to induce extremely targeted memory-erasure in mice. Tsien thinks the process might help humans lay traumatic memories to rest.

The researchers tested mice by shocking them while the mice heard a specific tone. They evaluated whether the mice remembered the shock by watching to see whether the mouse froze in fear upon hearing the tone again, or upon revisiting the chamber where it had been shocked. After being dosed with CaMKII while they recalled the fearful memories, the mice ceased to fear the tones and chamber. In a paper to be published tomorrow in scientific journal Neuron, Tsien proves that these memories weren't just temporarily blocked by the enzyme, but erased. No memories other than the targeted ones appeared to have been impaired.

Said Tsien:

Given the fact that so many war veterans often suffer from reoccurring traumatic memory replays after returning home, our report of selective erasure of fear memories in an inducible and rapid way suggests the existence of molecular paradigm(s) under which traumatic memories can be erased or degraded while preserving other memories in the brain.

Of course there might be nefarious applications of this memory-erasing procedure as well. Soldiers who fear war could be made to un-fear it, and people could be induced to forget political or family ties. In fact, once memory is malleable in such a granular way, people could literally give themselves personality reboots. Imagine what you would be like if you didn't have to remember that horrible childhood, or abusive boyfriend, or that you wanted to vote for the pro-science candidate in the election.

Inducible and Selective Erasure of Memories in the Mouse Brain via Chemical-Genetic Manipulation [via Neuron]

http://io9.com/5066924/a-pill-to-selectively-erase-your-traumatic-memories

 

[Ronny Shade]

call Jim Carrey

 

[Bubonic]

Wow, this is such an unethical concept.
In the world we live in there is much more to fear from this then to embrace.
Man up and get over your break-ups and traumatic experiences, taking some pill to help it fade away is just a really horrible idea.

 

[Ronny Shade]

Its refreshing to know that all the years of Philip K Dick hasn't scared us away from progress.

 

[The Apocalypse]

 

[PemLam]

Our experiences, both good and bad, shape who we are...I don't see this turning out well regardless of when (if) it happens.

 

[Carcharodon]

Yeah, this is a bit of an ethical red-flag. I can see instances where it can be used for good, but can see unlimited potential for the abuse of this type of thing.

 

[The Squirrel]

Yeah, this is a bit of an ethical red-flag. I can see instances where it can be used for good, but can see unlimited potential for the abuse of this type of thing.

Agreed.

 

[SuBe]

I smell a plot to a new movie...

oh, wait, it's been done.

 

[Zephyr Alexian]

It's basically been posted already, but bad experiences help you grow. They're vital also. To a certain extent: not including certain violent offenses.

 

[Erzengel]

In terms of people who have witnessed something horrific such as war, or been sexually abused, raped, etc., I can almost understand it.

But for those who just had a bad breakup and would want this are a bunch of *****es.

 

[Superman4ever]

In terms of people who have witnessed something horrific such as war, or been sexually abused, raped, etc., I can almost understand it.

But for those who just had a bad breakup and would want this are a bunch of *****es.

Agreed. There are some positive aspects to this but the potential for abuse is astounding here.

What if some quack doctor/researcher, decided to get his super-villainy on, and started like serial raping people and then erasing their minds? This sounds like a plot for the next Will Smith movie.

 

[PemLam]

In terms of people who have witnessed something horrific such as war, or been sexually abused, raped, etc., I can almost understand it.

But for those who just had a bad breakup and would want this are a bunch of *****es.

Agree with some of the above but war and it's associated attrocities need to be witnessed, not forgotten; in the hopes that future mistakes can be avoided.

 

[Bubonic]

Hmm, ya I suppose something like rape is just to awful to live with... But even if you erase the memory, what about *******s who might use it as ammunition against said person... or it somehow slipping out... It just seems so problematic.

 

[SuBe]

I just wanted to say that your Sig is wrong. That wasn't FDR that said that, it was Winston Churchill. And it wasn't a Reporter, it was an Older Socialite.

 

[Whirlysplat]

What a useful drug. No need for Rohypnol anymore! "baby"

 

[Mike_D202]

I dunno, I have a few one night stands that I'd like to forget

 

[Arcturus]

http://io9.com/5066924/a-pill-to-selectively-erase-your-traumatic-memories

Interesteing article, I'll definitely get a prescription when/if it goes through.

 

[The Apocalypse]

I just wanted to say that your Sig is wrong. That wasn't FDR that said that, it was Winston Churchill. And it wasn't a Reporter, it was an Older Socialite.

Close enough. I shall fix it though.

 

[knowsbleed]

I want to be first:

 

[Arcturus]

Douglas Quaid!

 

[The Question]

This technology could NEVER be used for torture, brainwashing, or other unethical abuse of the human mind. No sir.

 

[Watson]

Forget me nows!

 

[psychocheeseman]

Wow, this is such an unethical concept.
In the world we live in there is much more to fear from this then to embrace.
Man up and get over your break-ups and traumatic experiences, taking some pill to help it fade away is just a really horrible idea.

agreed!

All we are is a collection of our memories - take that away and we loose our identity.