Steve Ramirez and Xu Liu: A mouse. A laser beam. A manipulated memory. | Video on TED.com

Steve Ramirez and Xu Liu: A mouse. A laser beam. A manipulated memory. | Video on TED.com http://www.ted.com/talks/steveramirezandxuliuamousealaserbeamamanipulatedmemory.html?utmsource=newsletterweekly2013-08-24&utmcampaign=newsletterweekly&utmmedium=email&utmcontent=topleft_image Can we edit the content of our memories? It’s a sci-fi-tinged question that Steve Ramirez and Xu Liu are asking in their lab at MIT. Essentially, the pair shoot a laser beam into the brain of a living mouse to activate and manipulate its memory. In this unexpectedly amusing talk they share not only how, but -- more importantly -- why they do this. (Filmed at TEDxBoston.)