There are some more recent articles about Snyder and Mulcahy's research in using to TMS to induce temporary savant-like states:

http://tinyurl.com/lfxag (Telegraph, UK)

http://tinyurl.com/hns8z (BPS Research Digest, a blog)

These things could also be useful in the area of brain/computer interfaces. If we could reduce the size of fMRI machines (Or maybe use EEG as a smaller, lighter means.) and combine them with TMS we'd have a means of brain input and output. The user could drive a computer with this and get feedback from TMS.

Is it safe? When can I buy one for my cell phone?

I love Betterhumans! I sometimes forget all about all the relatively minor, yet exciting fields such as this.

That sounds like a good thing to have in a cell phone, considering the number of people who insist on using these communication devices while driving!

Aha! A mobile phone that prompts you to hang up and concentrate on driving! A good thing!

LOL, that thing's more like a small sledgehammer.

Neo420friend1: I need another hit of the TMS, don't screw up rotation, man damn!
Neo420friend2: Shut up dude I think I'm comming up with the greatest song in the world, and its written in 7/15 time.
Neo420friend2: Oww, my head hurts.
Neo420friend1: No kidding, that's what happens when you steal someone's hit, bitch.
Neo420friend1: Ahh, the glamour of transcensional radiation

Actually this field is damn amazing. I remember reading some time ago about a computer software called like brain wave generator http://www.bwgen.com/ (I think) on the forums. Anyone tried it out? I know I also came across the hypothesis of good brain wave alteration being able to accurately emulate the effects of essentially any mind altering drug. And to think something like this could be portable and one could turn off and on the effects- to have that much control over your state of mind would be amazing. It's got to be eventually possible, right?

this is cool;

http://www.nexstim.com/nbs.html

and

http://www.nexstim.com/eeg.html

This now reminds me of a scene in Rudy Rucker's novel *Software* (I recommend by the way.).

Sta-hi, one of the characters in the book, is sitting in a hotel restaurant on the Moon getting completely ripped on dangerous chemicals. He's sharing dinner with a synthetic woman whom he met on the journey up. To join him in getting stoned, she runs a pulsating electromagnet back and forth across her temples.

A more recent example would be what magnets do to Bender in Futurama. They overload the inhibition centers in his brain and his secret desire to be a folk singer manifests.

Anyway, the "brain wave generator" gewl cites isn't anything of the sort. It just plays sounds in your ears. If you wanna trance out, Gregorian, Tibetan or Native American chants, techno or ambient music are probably cheaper and better sounding.

However the basic idea does have some soundness to it. Doctors and researchers are now looking into using TMS means to break depressive spells, control mania or otherwise theraputically alter mood. I don't know if the results are conclusive yet. It's kind of like electroshock only far more subtle.

How strong are these TMS electromagnets? I couldn't find any good pages that would give me the specs. I guess it's probably only a few thousand guass. 1 tesla or higher would probably cause tissue damage.

"How strong are these TMS electromagnets? I couldn't find any good pages that would give me the specs. I guess it's probably only a few thousand guass. 1 tesla or higher would probably cause tissue damage."

Some good techy links;

http://www.biomag.hus.fi/tms/Thesis/dt.html#4

http://services.eng.uts.edu.au/cempe/subjects_JGZ/ems/ems_assignments/Ass_2/magnetic.pdf

Thanks Ab. I also just found a good page that states the field strengths of these things:

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20000923/bob10.asp

Higher than I expected, about 2 tesla or 20,000 gauss. That's about 40,000 times the strength of Earth's field. Pretty powerful!

When they magleved that frog a decade back it took an 11 tesla field to do it. If you have a powerful enough magnetic field everything in it, even things not normally magnetic, become magnets.

If it works, I would not have an objection even if that thing could be only moved by truck. But still a small device that greatily improves your abilities for a short time would be extremely useful.