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WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF

A lifetime of education might one day be condensed into minutes.

 

Scientists believe they may have taken the first steps towards making Matrix-style ‘instant learning’ a reality.

 

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A team of researchers from HRL Laboratories in California conducted experiments in which they studied the brain signals of trained pilots and attempted to ‘transplant’ them into the brains of beginners who were using a flight simulator.

The technique is similar to that seen in 1999’s The Matrix, in which the protagonist, Neo, learns Kung Fu in a matter of seconds after the knowledge is uploaded directly into his brain.

The scientists measured the brain waves of the pilots as they flew in a flight simulator mission, and isolated signals which they believed corresponded to certain flying skills.

32 test subjects then flew the same simulated mission while having their brains stimulated with an electrode cap, in an effort to mimic what was going on inside the brains of the professionals.

 

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Surprisingly, the researchers found that the trainee pilots who had their brains stimulated performed much better in certain tasks than those in the control group, becoming 33 per cent more successful in their tasks by the end of the tests.

Unfortunately, learning to fly in five seconds isn’t a reality, yet.

As research scientist Dr Matthew Phillips explains, the learning mechanism used by the two groups was the same – even with stimulation, learning to fly a plane is a skill which takes months to build up.

However, by using their stimulation cap, they managed to “amplify and boost” the subjects’ learning.

It’s still very early days for the technology, and the team’s study, published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, will need to be rigorously checked by the scientific community in the future. However, it’s an exciting start.

About author

Matthew Griffin

Matthew Griffin, described as “The Adviser behind the Advisers” and a “Young Kurzweil,” is the founder and CEO of the World Futures Forum and the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures consultancy working between the dates of 2020 to 2070, and is an award winning futurist, and author of “Codex of the Future” series. Regularly featured in the global media, including AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, RT, Viacom, and WIRED, Matthew’s ability to identify, track, and explain the impacts of hundreds of revolutionary emerging technologies on global culture, industry and society, is unparalleled. Recognised for the past six years as one of the world’s foremost futurists, innovation and strategy experts Matthew is an international speaker who helps governments, investors, multi-nationals and regulators around the world envision, build and lead an inclusive, sustainable future. A rare talent Matthew’s recent work includes mentoring Lunar XPrize teams, re-envisioning global education and training with the G20, and helping the world’s largest organisations envision and ideate the future of their products and services, industries, and countries. Matthew's clients include three Prime Ministers and several governments, including the G7, Accenture, Aon, Bain & Co, BCG, Credit Suisse, Dell EMC, Dentons, Deloitte, E&Y, GEMS, Huawei, JPMorgan Chase, KPMG, Lego, McKinsey, PWC, Qualcomm, SAP, Samsung, Sopra Steria, T-Mobile, and many more.

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