WEEK NINE: MIRROR NEURONS AND SHARED EXPERIENCE

In 2010, scientists at UCLA made the first recordings in relation to mirror neurons in humans.  Previously observed in monkeys, these neurons fire both when one performs an action, as well as when one observes an action being performed, "mirroring" behavior as if the observer them-self was acting.  These neurons are said to be important in terms of empathy- they allow the observer to understand the actions of others- but also in terms of learning through observation.  Some neurologists and psychologists, however, believe that these could hold the answers to shared experiences and shared consciousness. 

source

So, what does this mean for the interface? I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps, however, the key to the experiential side of the interface- that is, how users interact with it, could be answered through the stimulation of these neurons- that is, instead of being in a dream-like state akin to virtual reality, users could feel as though the are experiencing their interactions through stimulaton of these neurons.

I'm still not sure if this is the answer, though...

http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/do_mirror_neurons_give_empathy

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/mirror-neurons.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100412162112.htm

http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/ramachandran/ramachandran_p1.html