>suggest that it may be of value to augment normal five-fingered hands with an artificial supernumerary finger
That's missing the big picture in my opinion. This research indicates the human brain is capable, all on its own, of adapting to entirely new sensorymotor functions. Think of the implications. If some type of new functionality were grafted onto you, you'd be able to control it without having to "reassign" any of your current functions. You could move a "third hand" cursor around in three dimensional virtual space as if it were a virtual body part, not just an interface you have to consciously manipulate like a mouse or keyboard.
I'm not sure if we can think our brain will learn to control a new functionality, or as in the case of these people, it's only able to learn to use it if it's been there since the brain formation.
We don't know, at least by this study, if the brain can learn once it has developed.
> not just an interface you have to consciously manipulate like a mouse or keyboard
How conscious is that really tho? I don’t think about how to type, I just think thoughts and they come out on the screen. It’s about as conscious as speaking.
Same for the mouse. I don’t think about the mouse consciously, I just look at an item on the screen and choose to interact. Like grabbing a glass of water with my hand.
Now matter how perfect it is, it is by definition less perfect than the movement of your hand itself. The real world is also limited by inertia, which virtual interfaces are not if they bypass the hands entirely. We're a long way from developing really good brain-computer interfaces, but this finding means we have just a little less groundwork to lay.
We've actually known this for quite a while. And there are paraplegics controlling a normal 2D mouse with their brains right now. I'm not sure they ever attain the dexterity you or I manage by controlling a mouse with our hands, but it can be done. It can even be done without surgery now.
That's missing the big picture in my opinion. This research indicates the human brain is capable, all on its own, of adapting to entirely new sensorymotor functions. Think of the implications. If some type of new functionality were grafted onto you, you'd be able to control it without having to "reassign" any of your current functions. You could move a "third hand" cursor around in three dimensional virtual space as if it were a virtual body part, not just an interface you have to consciously manipulate like a mouse or keyboard.