Will the next generation be the smartest ever?

Even the most tech savvy person has a hard time keeping up to date on the latest technologies as engineering improves at lightning speed. With online courses improving so much over the last five years it is hard to even imagine what the future holds for future generations of employees.

Maybe in the future, on-demand online learning will take place through an interactive microchip in the brain. If that sounds far-fetched, consider the following recent examples that take brain based learning and computer enhanced education to a whole new level.

In 2005, Jonathan Kuniholm lost the lower portion of his right arm in a war injury in Iraq. Robert Arminger, a Johns Hopkins engineer built a prosthetic arm that interacts directly with the remaining muscles in Mr. Kunniholm’s arm to coordinate movements. Jonathan can play a modified version of Guitar Hero for instance by, “work[ing] the controller by contracting the muscles in his forearm, creating electrical impulses that electrodes then feed into the game.” This is the first neurally controlled prosthetic arm ever invented and with the researcher’s open sharing of all technology, many other researchers are looking for additional applications of this innovative mind, body, computer connection.

In 2008, researchers in Canada found that implanting electrodes in the brain and stimulating them can help recover lost memories. This research holds incredible potential for Alzheimer’s patients. Recent equally interesting research out of the University of California at Berkeley indicates that electrodes inserted in the brain can assist in computer generated speech. This has impressive implications for someone like a stroke patient who has lost the ability to speak. Could typing through just thinking about the words be a possibility in the future? In the Berkeley experiment, the patient had 256 electrodes implanted into the temporal lobe of the brain (where speech and images are processed). Simple words were produced but there is still more research to do to obtain a wider vocabulary.

For online learner enthusiasts and those who sometimes wish they had a second brain to store more information, the stunning research of Dr. Theodore Berger holds the most intrigue.

Dr. Berger from the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering has recently created a micro chip that directly interacts with learning, at least in mice. The researcher inserted the chip containing certain information into the brain of the mouse. When the electrodes to the brain were stimulated, the mouse engaged the knowledge on the chip to perform tasks that were not known to the mouse when the switch was turned off. Viterbi reports, “The chip is capable of storing neural signals, basically functioning as an electronic memory, allowing rats to learn more and keep it in the devices.” For any student that has ever dreamed of having a spare brain to store all that new class material it looks like the dream may be closer than you think.

With the ubiquitous use of mobile devices and online applications to conduct nearly every facet of life, it is interesting to consider what life might be like for the future generation of professionals in the most highly competitive jobs in the future. While previous generations might have considered getting their long hair cut a necessary sacrifice to be competitive in the job market, will future generations need to undergo expensive brain chip implants to “out think” the competition? In the quest to be number one, how far will future generations be willing to go?

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For example, if your hypothesis is that the material a wire is made up of impacts the resistance of an electrical current then you will need to set up an experiment that tests the resistance in a variety of wire types. There are many tools that you can use when developing an experiment. Some tools are as basic as an Ohm meter or volt meter, while others are more complex.

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on equipment for your electronics science fair project then you can turn to science fair kits that deal with electronics, like the MX-909 500-in-1 Electronic Lab. These kits provide you with everything that you need to perform multiple experiments for less than buying each piece separately.

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From these questions you will need to focus on a specific hypothesis statement or question to test with your experiments. If you are having a hard time narrowing down your questions to a specific hypothesis to work with then it is a good idea to explore the concepts related to electronics. An easy way to do this is to work with an electronics lab resource like the MX-908 300-in-1 Electronic Lab.

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Once these basic concepts are masters, through reading and basic projects, like the ones offered by the MX-907 200-in-1 Electronic Lab, you can apply these concepts to solving a problem. The problems that you try to solve will be revealed by your hypothesis. For example, if you are trying to solve the problem of feeding your dog when you are at school, you can apply electronics to develop a dog feeder that works on a timer.

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Electricity and electronics are two topics that we all think we understand, at least until we start trying to explain what they are and how they work. If you can’t explain what electronic components will need to be used in your project or how they work, then you need to start by learning about the basics of electronics. One tool/resource that will help you out is the MX-906 130-in-1 Electronic Lab.

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Do you know how to make a light bulb glow brighter or dimmer?

If the answer to these two questions is “no” then you need to brush up on the basics of electricity, especially if you are interested in putting together an electronic or electricity themed science fair project.

There are many ways that you can learn the basic concepts that relate to electricity, including reading text books and magazine articles. However, for most students, the best way to learn about the various components that are involved in the creation and utilization of electricity is to play around with these components in a controlled environment.

One tool that you can use to explore electricity and electronics is the MX-905 75-in-1 Electronic Lab.

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The concepts that related to electricity include volts, resistors, transistors, transformers, antennas, current, capacitors, diodes and speakers. These items and concepts can be used to develop science fair projects that explore renewable energy sources like solar energy and wind energy, as well as to explore the application of electricity to machinery. One tool that you can use to help you learn more about these concepts is the EP-50 Electronic Playground.

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