It may have less benefit, and even potential danger, for the far larger group of humans who do still retain the ability to speak, and everyone who can communicate in some conscious and effective manner, but scientific advances are usually promoted by the identification of some plausible minority social advantage whilst the larger social and cultural implications are blithely ignored. As scientists always say, it wasn't they who dropped Little Boy from Enola Gay.
From another report:
Soldiers could have their minds plugged directly into weapons systems, undergo brain scans during recruitment and take courses of neural stimulation to boost their learning, if the armed forces embrace the latest developments in neuroscience to hone the performance of their troops.
These scenarios are described in a report into the military and law enforcement uses of neuroscience, published on Tuesday, which also highlights a raft of legal and ethical concerns that innovations in the field may bring.
The report by the Royal Society, the UK's national academy of science, says that while the rapid advance of neuroscience is expected to benefit society and improve treatments for brain disease and mental illness, it also has substantial security applications that should be carefully analysed.
The report's authors also anticipate new designer drugs that boost performance, make captives more talkative and make enemy troops fall asleep.
"Neuroscience will have more of an impact in the future," said Rod Flower, chair of the report's working group.
