TED Conversations  Nicolette Sinensky   This conversation is
closed. Start a new conversation or join one »  How does
virtuality translate into reality?  This week in my
bioelectricity class, we spoke about electrical stimulation of
nerves. One method of stimulation is to place a electrode
directly on the surface of a nerve. One of the considerations of
this method, however, is that the anode (positively charged
side) and cathode (negatively charged side) of the electrode
each cause a redistribution of charge around the electrode.
Consequently, the anode induces a complementary "virtual
cathode" and the cathode creates a complementary "virtual
anode." These components aren't actually there, but we can
observe a similar redistribution of charge that implies that
something unseen is going on. Despite the fact that these
components are not physically present, they have real effects on
the functionality of both the electrode and the nerve. The
virtual cathode and anode can cause a very real, measurable
voltage ch