Translating Brain Waves Into Words

cortex writes with an excerpt from the L.A. Times: "In a first step toward helping severely paralyzed people communicate more easily, Utah researchers have shown that it is possible to translate recorded brain waves into words, using a grid of electrodes placed directly on the brain. ... The device could benefit people who have been paralyzed by stroke, Lou Gehrig's disease or trauma and are 'locked in' — aware but unable to communicate except, perhaps, by blinking an eyelid or arduously moving a cursor to pick out letters or words from a list. ... Some researchers have been attempting to 'read' speech centers in the brain using electrodes placed on the scalp. But such electrodes 'are so far away from the electrical activity that it gets blurred out,' [University of Utah bioengineer Bradley] Greger said. ... He and his colleagues instead use arrays of tiny microelectrodes that are placed in contact with the brain, but not implanted. In the current study, they used two arrays, each with 16 microelectrodes."

Re:From TFA:

[somecoffeemug]

an 95% accuracy with only one word :)

Re:The real philosophical issue....

[Eternal Vigilance]

is when you read their words, and they just say "kill me"

"Brad, take a look at this...there's an 86% chance Mr. Pike's first word here is 'blow,' and a 14% chance it's 'kill'. Now what?"

*long pause*

*frantic beeping*

Re:scary

[stalkedlongtime]

Uh, the intelligence sector is way ahead of what the public gets to read about. They've had it for some time.