Biomedical researchers at Vanderbilt University have discovered that low-intensity infrared laser light can be used to stimulate neurons. In the immediate future, this process will be able to more accurately identify and map specific areas of the brain, as there is no "Halo effect" like seen when an electrical charge is used for mapping. But in the long term the researchers forsee a future where bundles of fiber optic cables carry impulses to artificial limbs.