"Neurotechnology is not just a futuristic proposition anymore. Our society is adopting a brain-focused outlook through research into transcranial direct current stimulation (tCDS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), neuroenhancement drugs, and neurostimulation devices for hobbyists. People are attending neurotechnology conferences in greater numbers, and the private sector is taking notice. There are more and more neuroimaging and neurostimulation devices on the market every day. Neurotechnology is still in its relative infancy, but it is enhancing education, communication, intelligence, cognitive ability, disease treatments, and the military." (Potomac Institute for Policy Studies 2014)
Cognitive technologies are entering the mass consumer market and are being used by students, in schools or at home, to support their learning (see above the Focus1 headband by BrainCo shown in the company video). These affect the brain, promising to increase concentration or endurance, for example. However, they also have wider social implications, from redefining what education means, to one's identity if our brain has been modified. To prepare for a preferable future, we need to first understand the full effect of these technologies, both on the individual and on society as a whole.
The objective of this Open Educational Resource (OER) is to build together a better understanding of the implications of cognitive technologies. Which social and ethical issues may they uncover? What measures do we need to take to ensure that the future is ours?
Access the OER here.
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