---
title: "Scientists Reversed Rats’ Alcoholism by Firing Lasers at Their Brains"
description: "Scientists at Scripps Research say they've found a way to reverse rats' alcoholism by blasting particular neurons in their brains with lasers."
date: "2019-03-21"
modified: "2019-03-21"
authors:
  - name: "Jon Christian"
    job_title: "Executive Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc"
url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/scientists-bombarded-rats-brains-lasers-addiction"
categories:
  - "Brain"
  - "Health & Medicine"
tags:
  - "addiction"
  - "alcoholism"
  - "lasers"
  - "the digest"
---

# Scientists Reversed Rats’ Alcoholism by Firing Lasers at Their Brains

![Scientists at Scripps Research say they've found a way to reverse rats' alcoholism by blasting particular neurons in their brains with lasers.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/scientists-bombarded-rats-brains-lasers-addiction.png>)
*\<em\>Image: Andre Bellaire via Pixabay/Tag Hartman-Simkins\</em\>*

## Addiction Switch

Scientists at Scripps Research say they've found a way to reverse rats' dependent on alcohol by blasting particular neurons in their brains with laser beams — a change they likened to the "flip of a switch."

"What is so exciting about these findings is that we were able to control the motivation to drink alcohol in severely dependent individuals with the flip of a switch," said Scripps professor Olivier George, [told *Digital Trends*](<https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/rat-brain-laser-alcohol/>). "By implanting fiber optics deep in the brain and turning on a laser that inhibits these neurons specifically we could dramatically decrease alcohol drinking and the physical symptoms of withdrawal."

## Brain Laser

Don't get too excited about the prospect of a new human treatment stemming from the research, which was [recently published](<https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-09183-0>) in the journal *Nature Communications*. Though the Scripps researchers are hopeful about the future of the work, they cautioned that it could take decades until the tech is ready for testing on people.

"This work requires the use of cutting-edge technologies that are not approved to be used in humans yet so it may take 15 to 30 years before we see alcoholics with brain implants that help them control their craving," George told *Digital Trends.*

**READ MORE:** [Scientists have a way to turn off alcoholism: Blasting the brain with lasers](<https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/rat-brain-laser-alcohol/>) \[*Digital Trends*\]

**More on addiction:** [*We’re Getting Closer to Vaccines to Combat Drug Addiction*](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/vaccines-combat-drug-addiction>)

## Author
I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/jonchristian.net>)