Mind Reading? New Mathematical Model Raises the Possibility
_ by Sophie Douglas, Feb 6th 2012
Did you ever wonder how Derren Brown does it, demonstrating numerous times that he has the capability to read the minds of complete strangers? Whilst some people get sucked into the illusion others explain it through an ability to manipulate people into thinking something that he wants them to. However what if it became scientifically possible to read the thoughts produced by others and translate them into a full conversation.
Ground breaking research by Brian Paisley and colleagues published in the journal PLoS has raised the possibility from idealistic sci-fi talk to reality for the first time, through the development of a mathematical program that seems able to decode brain waves into words.
One of the obstacles for brain research is the need to gain access to exposed brain regions of living individuals i.e. accessing the brain without the obstacle of the bony skull so that direct brain signals can be recorded. Researches took use of the opportunity to do just that by recording brains waves from a group of patients of whom were undergoing a rare brain surgery. These epileptic patients had part of their skull removed which allowed scientists to position tiny electrodes to regions in the brain responsible for speech, particularly the superior temporal gyrus (STG).
Brain changes were recorded as words were read to the patient and these signals were then saved to a computer model that they had designed so that these brain changes could be matched up with the spoken word. They then got the patient to read the words out and the sophisticated mathematical model was able to match correctly the majority of the brain signals of the patient with the correct word that had previously been spoken. Thinking about words and speaking them is believed to produce the same brain signals. So understanding and recording the exact brain changes during which words are spoken means that a computer can be formulated to recognise these brain signals as words and eventually sentences and prose and translate them.
It all sounds like something you would see on ‘Doctor Who’ but this is the starting platform for more research into the area of mind mapping. It is all very new and needs a lot of work but this could bring hope to the many people who suffer speech impairments. It is hoped that in the forthcoming years clinical trials on paralysed patients will be undertaken, these patients decode and understand language but just cannot communicate it due to damaged muscles. Much more data is required to record and match more words with accurate brain signals before complete thoughts shall be able to be communicated. Although one can see the benefits to paralysed victims, what does this mean for the rest of the population? The sign of this latest technology brings with it concerns that no one’s thoughts and original ideas will be safe. Some might say a step too far in the wrong hands.
Did you ever wonder how Derren Brown does it, demonstrating numerous times that he has the capability to read the minds of complete strangers? Whilst some people get sucked into the illusion others explain it through an ability to manipulate people into thinking something that he wants them to. However what if it became scientifically possible to read the thoughts produced by others and translate them into a full conversation.
Ground breaking research by Brian Paisley and colleagues published in the journal PLoS has raised the possibility from idealistic sci-fi talk to reality for the first time, through the development of a mathematical program that seems able to decode brain waves into words.
One of the obstacles for brain research is the need to gain access to exposed brain regions of living individuals i.e. accessing the brain without the obstacle of the bony skull so that direct brain signals can be recorded. Researches took use of the opportunity to do just that by recording brains waves from a group of patients of whom were undergoing a rare brain surgery. These epileptic patients had part of their skull removed which allowed scientists to position tiny electrodes to regions in the brain responsible for speech, particularly the superior temporal gyrus (STG).
Brain changes were recorded as words were read to the patient and these signals were then saved to a computer model that they had designed so that these brain changes could be matched up with the spoken word. They then got the patient to read the words out and the sophisticated mathematical model was able to match correctly the majority of the brain signals of the patient with the correct word that had previously been spoken. Thinking about words and speaking them is believed to produce the same brain signals. So understanding and recording the exact brain changes during which words are spoken means that a computer can be formulated to recognise these brain signals as words and eventually sentences and prose and translate them.
It all sounds like something you would see on ‘Doctor Who’ but this is the starting platform for more research into the area of mind mapping. It is all very new and needs a lot of work but this could bring hope to the many people who suffer speech impairments. It is hoped that in the forthcoming years clinical trials on paralysed patients will be undertaken, these patients decode and understand language but just cannot communicate it due to damaged muscles. Much more data is required to record and match more words with accurate brain signals before complete thoughts shall be able to be communicated. Although one can see the benefits to paralysed victims, what does this mean for the rest of the population? The sign of this latest technology brings with it concerns that no one’s thoughts and original ideas will be safe. Some might say a step too far in the wrong hands.
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