Swim

For the first time ever, scientists have been able to see a thought. They used a Zebra Fish looking for his food, the though they saw? Swim. This is an incredible break through. Being able to see thoughts an animals is a first. The studies of perception will most likely have tons of new doors opened by this technology. Before this seeing thoughts in a brain wasn't possible.

This technology consists of a flourescent probe that is extremely sensitive, this is used to detect the brain activity. The seond part of it is a genetic - method used to insert the probe right into the neurons of interest. This allows a more specified view of the thoughts to be seen, ones at a single celled level.
To test their invention, they used the zebra fish. They put food infront of him and watched as the Zebra Fish sighted it. Upon seeing it the zebra fish's first thought, swim. They also saw thought activity after the Zebra Fish had caught his prey. It will be interesting to see how other animals brains work as their research continues. Also, it will be even more interesting to see what they will find when they use it on humans. Obviously the human brain is a lot more complex than that of a Zebra fish. However, apparently we have the same basic functions, which makes it possible that this technology can be used on human brains at some point.

This new technology also opens up possibilities for new psychiatric drugs. Now researches can see where complex behaviors take place such as decision making and perception. Hopefully sometime in the future this technology will be capable of pointing out where in the brain sadness comes from, anger, happiness, and many other emotions too.

Something I find very interesting about the this technology is a possible future use. The human brain is still a mystery to us, it is too complex to understand it, and pieces of it, thought process wise, vary from person to person. However, maybe, just maybe this technology can be specified enough to view exact brain activity. And maybe someday this technology could be used on criminals. It would allow us to discover what makes a psychopath a psychopath, how their thought process works. That would be an incredible break through, especially if a way to treat it was developed. Also, if things such as anxiety could be found in the brain maybe drugs that could better help those with anxiety could be helped. Same for those that struggle with being bipolar. This new technology has a long way to go, and a long way to  develop before it will be ready for either of those uses, but it is definitely off to a good start and can only go up from here.