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TechnographPhysics research blurs reality
By Peter Kim
Posted: 4/25/08 Section: News
While mixed reality may sound like the stuff of abstract theoretical science, humans experience mixed reality every day. Hubler describes it in terms of driving a car.
"Every human has a model of the world in their mind," Hubler said. "When you are driving in your car, you have a virtual model in your mind of how the car should move. When the car moves (in the real world) like you expect (in the virtual model in your mind), you are experiencing mixed reality. The two realities are identical, coupled through your vision and feelings."
Hubler said cancer cells could also be coupled using mixed reality. This would allow for selective elimination of cancer cells as well as much more effective treatments.
Recently, electric fields have been used to kill brain cancer cells. When cells divide, they weaken and can be killed by electric fields. Since healthy cells divide rarely in the brain, the brain can be safely zapped to kill the cancer cells but not the healthy ones.
"Regular brain cells divide extremely rarely. Therefore, electric fields can be used to treat brain cancer," Hubler said.
However, in other areas of the body where healthy cells divide more often, the cancer cells cannot be so easily eliminated since any dividing healthy cells would also die.
Hubler's research seeks to couple the real-world cancer cells to virtual-reality cancer cells so that scientists can coordinate the cancer cells to divide at the same time. That way, the cancer cells can be eliminated without harming the healthy cells which would all be at different dividing stages.
Very few healthy cells would be killed since they are not synchronized to divide with the cancer cells. Therefore, doctors can selectively and efficiently kill cancer cells, Hubler said.
However, the effects of mixed reality and coupling can be beneficial or detrimental depending on the situation.
Vadas Gintautas, graduate student and researcher of mixed reality, said one example is the possible use of video games for tactical training in the military. Video games create a mixed-reality state by coupling the virtual reality of the game to the virtual reality of the mind, he said.
"Soldiers could use modified versions of computer games, such as 'Doom,' to learn the geography of a city they are going to invade," Gintautas said. "However, if the game is not randomized enough, they may face problems when they go into the actual city."
Hubler said he admits that mixed reality can have negative effects, but these are balanced by the positive.
"There are dangers, but there are also many benefits," Hubler said.
"Every human has a model of the world in their mind," Hubler said. "When you are driving in your car, you have a virtual model in your mind of how the car should move. When the car moves (in the real world) like you expect (in the virtual model in your mind), you are experiencing mixed reality. The two realities are identical, coupled through your vision and feelings."
Hubler said cancer cells could also be coupled using mixed reality. This would allow for selective elimination of cancer cells as well as much more effective treatments.
Recently, electric fields have been used to kill brain cancer cells. When cells divide, they weaken and can be killed by electric fields. Since healthy cells divide rarely in the brain, the brain can be safely zapped to kill the cancer cells but not the healthy ones.
"Regular brain cells divide extremely rarely. Therefore, electric fields can be used to treat brain cancer," Hubler said.
However, in other areas of the body where healthy cells divide more often, the cancer cells cannot be so easily eliminated since any dividing healthy cells would also die.
Hubler's research seeks to couple the real-world cancer cells to virtual-reality cancer cells so that scientists can coordinate the cancer cells to divide at the same time. That way, the cancer cells can be eliminated without harming the healthy cells which would all be at different dividing stages.
Very few healthy cells would be killed since they are not synchronized to divide with the cancer cells. Therefore, doctors can selectively and efficiently kill cancer cells, Hubler said.
However, the effects of mixed reality and coupling can be beneficial or detrimental depending on the situation.
Vadas Gintautas, graduate student and researcher of mixed reality, said one example is the possible use of video games for tactical training in the military. Video games create a mixed-reality state by coupling the virtual reality of the game to the virtual reality of the mind, he said.
"Soldiers could use modified versions of computer games, such as 'Doom,' to learn the geography of a city they are going to invade," Gintautas said. "However, if the game is not randomized enough, they may face problems when they go into the actual city."
Hubler said he admits that mixed reality can have negative effects, but these are balanced by the positive.
"There are dangers, but there are also many benefits," Hubler said.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
stewie g.
posted 4/25/08 @ 8:07 PM CST
this story is hilarious. he has a monitor from 1998 connected to a computer mouse and a ruler; and don't forget the binder clip from staples...which midway through the article is supposed to cure cancer. (Continued…)
Andrew Nelson
posted 4/25/08 @ 9:35 PM CST
This was a story published in the News-Gazette like 8 months ago. Broadband is a lot quicker than dial-up....
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