LOS ANGELES, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- U.S. military experts are attempting to develop soldiers with enhanced intelligence through implantation of microchips in their brains.
Australia's news.com.au reports that scientists believe that the electronic implant will improve troops' memories, allowing them to recall every detail of their training, which in turn would make them more effective soldiers.
The pioneering research was undertaken at the University of Southern California's bioengineering department. The chip developed by researchers mimics the functions of the hippocampus, the section of the brain that deals with memory.
Researchers experimented on the hippocampus of dead rats. After removing it, the scientists inserted the bio-chip in its place.
The silicon microchip implant generated exactly the same electronic signals as the removed hippocampus. Scientists involved in the project now intend to test the bio-chip on live animals. Should the research proves to be as successful as the experiments on the dead rodents, then researchers envisage one day carrying out human trials.
