China Claims Remote Controlled Pigeons

(CBS/AP)  Chinese scientists have succeeded in implanting electrodes in the brain of a pigeon to remotely control the bird's flight, state media said.

Xinhua News Agency said the scientists at the Robot Engineering Technology Research Center at Shandong University of Science and Technology in eastern China used the micro electrodes to command the bird to fly right or left, and up or down.

The implants stimulated different areas of the pigeon's brain according to electronic signals sent by the scientists via computer, mirroring natural signals generated by the brain, Xinhua quoted chief scientist Su Xuecheng as saying.

It was the first such successful experiment on a pigeon in the world, said Su, who conducted a similar successful experiment on mice in 2005.

In 2002, American scientists performed a similar test with rats, equipping the rodents with tiny video cameras in the hopes that they could one day be used to help in the search for disaster survivors.

[caldwellptr]

Maybe the government was controlling the rats found recently at a KFC in NYC!

[rf35]

Or should that be 72 virgin birds OF paradise?

What ever happened to building robots out of metal and plastic? This sounds disturbingly Borg-like to me. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE...YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED

[mitywhity]

So? They've been creating this for human mind-control. Pigeons now - citizens later.

[rray52]

Well this should bring hats back in style

[rf35]

We have the Global Hawk, they have the Remote Controlled Pigeon. If Al Qaeda gets a hold of these, they%u2019ll be strapping bombs to them flying them into buildings. Does the martyred bird get 72 virgin birds in paradise?

[lochlan-2009]

So what do the religious leaders think of free will now. Time for some more witch burnings I think.

What a patriotic pigeon!

[bullwinkle92]

Lets see, the Chinese got the birds to fly left and right. "In 2002, American scientists performed a similar test with rats."

Heck, if we got our rats to fly I'd say we are way head of the Chinese!

[olebd]

How embarrasing for us. They supply our goods, pay this countries interest on our debt and will someday be able to just waltz right in here and take us over with a bunch of birds.

That's just great.

[anopinion1]

totally awsome