Geenstijl

Hier: gaan we net als Mitch even staand voor zitten

Voor de goede orde, als we "Pentagon-rapport" koppen dan bedoelen we dit rapport van de RAND Corporation (PDF) "sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense". Het geschetste scenario gaat over bejaarde congresleden (zoals Mitch, Diane † en een paar van die andere kadavers), alsof de huidige president zelf niet elke ochtend opnieuw uit z'n graf getrokken moet worden.

Maar aangezien Elons eerste hersenchip vandaag live ging in een menselijke Patient Zero is dit scenario RELEVANTER DAN OOIT! We lezen eerst: "In Vignette 4, we present a hypothetical scenario in which Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) gravely challenge national security." En het scenario eindigt met de onheilspellende woorden: "The U.S. populace is demoralized. Once-friendly countries begin to distance themselves from the United States."

Nou, scenario na de breek.

"In 2050, a few octogenarian congressional leaders face tough re-election campaigns because of rumors of ill health and poor cognitive fitness for their roles. Three of these members of Congress quietly have state-of- the-art BCI's implanted into their brains, a practice that has become somewhat commonplace among wealthy senior citizens. 

The members had previously shown signs of slowing down, but this BCI enables them to move and speak normally, particularly with the help of political allies who conceal their true condition. The BCI developers suspect that their implants have the ability not just to read brain signals but to affect the users’ temperament in subtle and inconspicuous ways. 

However, the developers keep this quiet because they have not been able to identify a fix. This susceptibility in the BCI ends up causing much confusion for the congressional leaders in this scenario. 

They have episodes of erratic behavior, forgetfulness, and irrationality, and they take a belligerent approach with their fellow members of Congress, allies, and partners. The U.S. populace is demoralized. Once-friendly countries begin to distance themselves from the United States."