In the near future... Can you say creepy? So, what would be the potential positive and negative applications of this?

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(Remember the memory erasing wand in 'Men In Black'? - Scientists can erase memory by inhibiting molecule in brain)
http://www.whatsnextnetwork.com/technology/index.php/2006/08/28/p3291
"In an article in Science magazine, SUNY Downstate researchers describe erasing memory from the brain by targeting a molecular mechanism that controls memory. Finding may be applied to chronic pain, memory loss, and other conditions.
Scientists at SUNY Downstate Medical Center have discovered a molecular mechanism that maintains memories in the brain. In an article in Science magazine, they demonstrate that by inhibiting the molecule they can erase long-term memories, much as you might erase a computer disc."

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I mean, imagine the plausible deniability if governments could use assassins and then literally "wipe" their memories by inhibiting the chemicals/proteins/enzymes in the brain that regular memory creation/retention/maintenance. And what if they could literally "wipe out" a good portion of your memories and then "implant" memories. One would assume that if certain chemicals can inhibit memories, others can influence memory creation. IE, first you wipe someone's memories, then you begin showing them images, sounds, video, text, etc. all the while giving them chemicals that stimulate new memory formation.

I wonder if the memory loss is permanent, or simply a temporary suppression. But I vaguely recall that the brain arranges itself by the strength of connection between neurons. If the suppression of the memory maintenance mechanism causes withering of these connections, then the memory loss would seem to be possibly permanent...?

Could "Big Brother" literally take someone outof society, wipe them, reload them, and then put them back into society, none the wiser that anything was different or anything had changed?

Just some thoughts, mostly sci-fi. But sci-fi is slowly becoming more and more real, and slightly disturbing. Should some things be off-limits to science? I mean messing with people's memories, the defining characteristics of who someone... Is...

Okay, that just made me think. IF we could find chemicals for memory CREATION or the cementing of new memories, could we literally clone an entire person, including personality, for all intents and purposes? I mean, we know that cloning right now would only recreate the physical characteristics dictated by a creature's genome. But it would not recreate the mind. However, if we could approximate the creation of memories by imprinting a certain set of "history" or "facts" (pivotal life events, relationships, specific [probably pre-recorded] speech patterns, etc.) onto the brain, we could approximate someone's "personality."

Obviously, it would be an inferior copy to someone who had fully matured on their own with X amount of life experience. But, if it was "close enough" to fool close relatives, friends, etc... If nothing else, it might pass the Turing test of "machine intelligence" after all, it would be a biological machine, artificially created, given a set of programming and set loose. Of course then we run into the problems of "Replicants" like in Blade Runner (not fully matured, or matured too quickly, thus running into problems; children with the memory and life experiences of adults). We'recoming into a weird day and age. Hopefully we can "understand" our way out of the perilous minefield we may be walking into with insufficient preparation.