mornin' researchers!

I've heard a bit about this Medtronic Mag Pro for transcranial
magnetic stimulation which only has 60 mentions on Google:
http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/neuro/TMS_NYT.html

and some custom-made Sony device called "Qualia."  is there any other
legitimate cutting edge headgear on the horizon?  not interested in
drugs this time around.

thanks@GB

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Clarification of Question by badabing-ga on 09 Jul 2003 15:04 PDT

here's a US connection for the TMS:

"SCRA is investigating additional opportunities to collaborate with
MUSC in the areas of learning enhancement through the application of
transcranial magnetic stimulation; protein sequencing and derivation;
and tissue synthesis. The strategic goal is the formation of a joint
institute similar to ARDI at Clemson University."
http://www.scra.org/bari.html

these might also be called eDrugs:

"The third generation of drugs will be electronic. More precisely,
they will probably be electro-stimulating devices, used to control
specific parts of our brain, in order to change the way it works or to
cure some of its troubles.

In a way, these "eDrugs" already exist. For instance, at the
University of South Carolina, so called "transcranial magnetic
stimulation" devices are used to treat severe depression.

In his novel Rock Machine, Norman Spinrad envisioned personal devices
that look like small nets worn on the head, transmitting electric
pulses to the brain, creating a feeling of joy or pleasure. This is a
more than plausible future."
http://www.6711.com/art/trh_vs01.htm

http://www.neuronetics.com

anything along these lines.  more interested in learning/creativity
enhancement area; less on psychiatric/movement disorders.  oh, and no
tin foil hats, please.  gran has been known to wear one but only if it
complements her outfit.

In addition to transcranial magnetic stimulation, there's "cranial
electrotherapy stimulation":

http://www.algy.com/anxiety/cranial.html

Science fiction author Larry Niven has written a number of terrific SF
stories set in the near future, when "wireheading" (direct electrical
stimulation of the brain's pleasure centers) has replaced drugs as a
source of mind alteration. Cautionary tales, they are. Too much
artificially-induced happy juice in the brainium, whatever its origin,
may not be a good idea for an individual, and may be disastrous for a
society.

Here's an excerpt from Niven:

http://www.wireheading.com/wirehead.html

The entire wireheading.com site may be of interest to you. Take a
look. There are a lot of goodies there. Feed your head. ;-)

http://www.wireheading.com/index.html

Michael Persinger's been doing some interesting work in this area. 
There's a lot of stuff on the web, some of it pretty flakey, but this
one's worth reading.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11322603&dopt=Abstract

On the fiction front, Michael Crichton's "Terminal Man" is another
wirehead story.

Ian G.