A report out today from The Royal Society looks at the history, advancements, challenges and risks of neural interface technology.

The report asks for input from the general public via a consultation on what their views in shaping the future of neural interface regulation.

We have visualised the connection of humans and machines in Science Fiction for a long time from books to films. More recently with films such as Johnny Mnemonic and The Matrix, (Yes I just referenced 2 Keanu Reeves films). Are we ready to become Borg and be assimilated?

Medicine is evolving at a fantastic speed with new developments that are helping patients to help treatments for a wide range of conditions using non-invasive and invasive technologies. Should we now use the same techniques for connecting a human brain to a computer to make us more efficient and responsive to information?

“Neural interfaces connect the brain or nervous system to

equipment, typically digital devices or IT systems. Some act to
record physiological activity, such as brain signals or movements,
while others stimulate it. Some technologies, known as ‘closedloop’ systems, record activity and deliver stimulation in response.”

Source: report

 

We are already doing this with devices we use on a daily basis such as a mobile phone, reality glasses and cars with heads up displays. Moving this information closer to the brain is the next technological evolutionary step in this area.

Elon Musk’s Neuralink is looking at how its possible to connect computer chips to the human brain and has already connected a Rats brain to a chip and USB port.

The report represents some of the advancements made and possible ways forward that are helping people today and helps set out some principles and practices. A worthwhile read.

For me there are still a lot of areas to discuss ethically around moving forward – Just because we can doesn’t mean we should.  I think that the quote in the report by Paul Virilio covers this and what we need to think about and accept the outcome possibilities:

“ When you invent the ship, you also invent the shipwreck; when you invent the plane you also invent the plane crash; and when you invent electricity, you invent  electrocution… Every technology carries its own negativity, which is invented at the same time as technical progress.” – Paul Virilio

Source: report

Further Reading

• iHuman perspective: Neural interfaces
• iHuman perspective: Supplementary material
• An integrated brain-machine interface platform with thousands of channels
• A-Z of Digital – J is for Jacking
• Time to get chipped?

A roundup in videos of some of the recent STEM activities that I have been involved with and help run.

February 2019 Stemettes Hack Chorley with DXC and Stemettes

March 2019 – Chorley Hack with Chorley Council

I have previously written about “Having the Right Digital Mindset” where I covered six topic areas to help shape your Digital Mindset.

• Business
• Technology
• Social
• Personal
• Application
• Learning

In this series of blog posts I will expand on each of these topics.

Having the Right Digital Mindset: Learning

How much learning have you done today? this week? this month? Keeping your skills up to date by regular learning is an important part of developing your mindset and keeping it active. So why bother with learning? This is easy to answer in that if you don’t, others are. The next generations of IT Professionals are already learning from an early age supported by Government Educational Curriculum’s.

Learning is easier with the internet through online courses, videos and podcasts allowing it to be undertaken at anytime. The topics that you choose to learn will be down to your role and there is no magic course on being Digital. Its an amalgamation of different skills and knowledge, both hard and soft skills.

One key factor though is that software is eating the world and the delivery of things as code is becoming common place. having an understanding of what is going on in the coding world helps with today’s advancing technology. Learning to code is a great way of understanding these advancements and everyone should have a knowledge of this.

Re-enforcing your learning through explaining it to someone else or blogging about it is part of  The Nature and Cycle of CPD and a good way of checking you have learnt correctly.

There are two main types of learning that we do:

• On the Job
• Focused Learning

Learning that comes as part of our regular day can be classed as “On the Job” where as focused learning is where you take time out to do some research, reading or a course.

Everyone has their own preference for learning and the amount of learning that you do is also down to preference. Looking at other industries where learning is mandated as part of ongoing professional development, such as a Dentist or Doctor who must do a number of hours to maintain their skills and knowledge and also their registration to practice. Why should this be any different for IT Professionals? Some wold argue that they don’t need to keep their skills upto date and others that you should. For me considering that IT Professionals produce, code and maintain systems that the Densists and Doctors use everyday in support of patients, why would it be any different for IT?

You should be looking to do 50 to 60 hours learning a year as a minimum (some professions require higher number of hours). Number of hours that some professions require learning:

The number of hours that you commit to learning is down to personal choice, but if you did at least 1 hour a week, thats 52 Hours of learning you have achieved.

Further Reading

Blog Posts and Articles:

• Eating a slice of the Training Pie – MicroLearning
• IT Professionals and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Hours
• How much CPD/Training should you be doing?
• Digital Fit in 2018: Pack Learning
• Digital Fit in 2018: Build on your skills
• I lost my Job to a Robot
• A-Z of Digital – K is for Knowledge
• A-Z of Digital – T is for Twenty First Century Digital
• Recording your CPD
• CPD is a two way street
• A balance of Verifiable and Non-Verifiable CPD
• Learn a Programming Language – But which one?
• “My Time, My Development”
• Learning to code

I have previously written about “Having the Right Digital Mindset” where I covered six topic areas to help shape your Digital Mindset.

• Business
• Technology
• Social
• Personal
• Application
• Learning

In this series of blog posts I will expand on each of these topics.

Having the Right Digital Mindset: Application

Application is how you apply your Mindset (not an application running on a mobile or computer device).

We all have habits and norms that define our daily lives and how we apply ourselves. Some people embrace change and others find change not easy to accept, however making changes are needed to ensuring that you are working with a good Digital Mindset.

One of the biggest areas I come across on this subject is training with statements like “I don’t have time”, “I’m busy on projects all day”, “I’m not training in my own time”. Whilst you do need a good work life balance, you need to recognise that others around you are making the time and you may be left behind in growing your skills.

Changing the way that we have programmed ourselves can be done by changing small things in our routines – think Agile. Growing your skills can help you think about and adopt change.

Book in an hour in your diary (every week) to review some reading or undertake some training that will boost your skills and knowledge. Diaries often change, but if you keep to that hour a week to start with, then you can change the habit and benefit from the skills you are learning.

When you make the changes is another important step. There are lots of people who are doing this by changing their morning routines to include things like catching up on the latest social media (related to their areas of interests, jobs). I would recommend looking at a site called “My Morning Routine”. Listing a number of different morning routines from people working in many industries, it may give you some ideas on how you could make changes.

My 5 Tips

• Make small changes to your routine and over time they will become your new habits
• Embrace the change. Make it a challenge to stretch your thinking rather than a chore
• Take the opportunity to learn
• Don’t ignore the social channels, filter out the noise anD get the good content
• Think about your time. Could you listen to a podcast while you are travelling?

Further Reading

Blog Posts and Articles:

• Playing a game with innovation and thinking
• 12 Ways to Shift Your Mindset and Embrace Change
• 7 Ways to Level Up your Mindset
• How can you change from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset
• New Things In New Ways, or Same Old Things In Old Ways?

Websites:

• My Morning Routine

Books

• The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do, and How to Change

Videos

• Change your mindset, change the game | Dr. Alia Crum | TEDxTraverseCity
• Changing Your Mindset Can Change Your Future | Sarra Jiwa | TEDxYouth@BOSS