Ed Boyden: A light switch for neurons

http://www.ted.com Ed Boyden shows how, by inserting genes for light-sensitive proteins into brain cells, he can selectively activate or de-activate specific neurons with fiber-optic implants. With this unprecedented level of control, he's managed to cure mice of analogs of PTSD and certain forms of blindness. On the horizon: neural prosthetics. Session host Juan Enriquez leads a brief post-talk Q&A.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Ed
• Boyden
• TEDTalks
• TED
• talks
• brain
• neurons
• neuroscience
• light
• cells
• biology

[andy3071190]

The music that precedes your TED presentations on youtube are disturbing. can we have a music that is quieter expressive of the quality of the presenation rather than that NOISE we have endure until the presentatiaon starts.

[xjustamem0ryx]

"Daddy PLEEEEEASE can I get the Kung-Fu Implant!?"

"No, son. We're going to get you the Mute Implant so you'll STFU!"

[Rarae192]

@andy3071190 I love that noise: bwwwwoaaaaaONGGGGGG!!! It wouldn't be a TEDTalk without it.

[1993whitenoise]

Only 31 thousane views... And a lil wayne video has how many?? Show me the justice in that...

[andreeaweed]

wow this is a great invention ...this is a genius

[iyogangsta]

@zoveia acabei de ver isso, o cara e um dos meus melhores amigos, e adoro treinar o portugues...entao qq pergunta pode perguntar e respondarei. A palestra e "densa" mas, resumido ela, disse q agora a gente e capaz de instalar receptores de luz no cerebro e tb nos olhos, p puder tratar doencas cerebrais e oticais atraves de luz em vez de drogas. Realmente, e do caralho ;)!

[Ko252]

This is genius.

[naved001video]

click here 0:15 if you want to skip the annoying intro.

[ChrisCapel1998]

@abram730 Oops, yeah I meant Parkinsons... Soooo yeah...

[abram730]

@securebox Our hot quantum computer tends to be bad with memory and sucks with math.

What is hard for us is easy for a digital computer and what is easy for us is hard for a computer.

An arranged marriage is in order.