They used a burst of magnetic pulses called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) – produced by coils held over the scalp – to temporarily shut off activity in the DLPFC. Now, when faced with the opportunity to spitefully reject a cheeky low cash offer, subjects were actually more likely to take the money.
Erm. Hold on there. Influencing thoughts using ElectroMagnetic fields? Asimov’s mentalic robots are closer than we think.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) just got FDA approval for major depression. This is the first brain disorder that it has been approved for. Approval for other disorders should follow.
As for mind control, I could see it happening in the future. TMS could allow scientists to activate or deactivate almost any brain area at will. Transcranial direct current stimulation is also being used in a similar manner to TMS.