Alintelbot@aol.com writes:
> Since the temporal lobe is arguably where the brain "creates" reality, I
> wonder how far way we are from achieving a "full-immersion" virtual
> environment by way of precise electromagnetic fields to the brain.
I agree with Eugene's doubts; the hallucinations induced by the electromagnetic stimulation may be complex, but they cannot be controlled well or reliably from the outside, and the actual contents are internally generated rather than externally induced.
My guess is that for a high-resolution interactive interface you would need input on the order of at least a megabit per second, equating to tens of thousands of electrodes.
(I also disagree that the temporal lobe is where reality is created in the brain - it has some important functions, but even people with severe temporal lobe damage do experience reality - even if they have trouble remembering it)
Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension! asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y