Mindreading No: Thought Pattern Recognition Yes
In 2007 there were reports that a team of world-leading neuroscientists developed a powerful technique that allows them to look deep inside a person’s brain and read their intentions before they act. I decided to track down the media reports and discovered an excellent video as well.
This research broke controversial new ground in scientists’ ability to probe people’s thoughts, and raises serious ethical issues over how brain-reading technology may be used in the future.
The team used high-resolution brain scans to identify patterns of activity before translating them into meaningful thoughts, revealing what a person planned to do in the near future. It is the first time scientists have succeeded in reading intentions in this way.
In the experiment, the brain activity of two subjects (two of Gallant’s team members, Kendrick Kay and Thomas Naselaris) was monitored while they were shown 1,750 different pictures. The team then selected 120 novel images that the subjects hadn’t seen before, and used the previous results to predict their brain responses. When the test subjects were shown one of the images, the team could match the actual brain response to their predictions to accurately pick out which of the pictures they had been shown. With one of the participants they were correct 72% of the time, and with the other 92% of the time; on chance alone they would have been right only 0.8% of the time. – Neuroscience: How far has “mind reading” got?
Watch the January 7, 2009 video
Fascinating. Like most brilliant scientific breakthroughs it holds the promise of powerful advancements for brain injury treatment and therapies, behavioural sciences (such as understanding autism, addiction, etc)and even aptitude identification in education and training. But all of this is a slippery slope – mind reading technologies could also be used to manipulate, to control or to invade privacy. This is the paradox of progress, is it not?
@Cindy
At the end of this month I will celebrate 1 year since my terrible fall and head injury. Throughout this year as well as being repeatedly scanned and tested I have been reading a great deal about the brain.
Yes, indeed thought pattern recognition technologies could open the doors to understanding and treating many conditions and brain injuries, and such development does lead us to speculate on devious ways it could be used. However, I think the likelihood of us being brain scanned when going about our daily business is still quite remote. This equipment is very costly and I don’t think it’s portable.
This is a good find. I recently discovered a scientist who is working on a time machine and I asked myself what others may be doing. Seems like I got my answer. We’re reaching the point of singularity and I guess all this is saying is that time will come when humanity will reach a god-like status. However, I’d like to add that mindreading is nothing new for some people in the east. The Vibhuti Pada, the 3rd chapter from Patanjali’s yoga sutras, talks about the means to acquire supra-normal powers like this. Science is just not convinced until it has gone through everything the “rational” way.
@Ryhen
Hmmm … that’s an interesting interpretation. It’s also interesting that you use the term “mind reading”. Scientists in this experiment were simply noticing which areas of the brain were active and by doing so they were able to guesstimate pretty accurately what the next action the person might take would be. It doesn’t appear as if any supra normal powers were in play at all.
Wow! That video had me glued to the screen. It was really fascinating and interesting! Yeah, I totally agree with Cindy and Ryhen. But I had to admit, with technology, it’s always going to be a paradox of progress. It depends on how we will use it. Mindreading is really not something new, but using technology to do it is. That’s how our society works, we need to find “rational” way. Great find!
@Taney
As a person who has suffered a head injury I found this to be fascinating too.
This sounds like the same philosophy that “readers” might use. Strangely, tho, people love it, and pay big money for it.
If it was done by technology, would they like it as much? Hmm…
Good post, TT.
@Teresa
I honestly don’t know exactly what you mean. As far as I know the brain imaging equipment used is extremely costly and only found in hospitals. Very few doctors and technicians have access to it at all. All I know is that I wait in line to be scanned like all other head injury patients.
Interesting video. The host is very good.Imagine how life or this world will be if it is easy to read each one’s intentions. We would have so little room for misunderstanding and crime :)
@celticmusicfan
I’m happy to hear your feedback. Thanks for commenting.
This is truly amazing and interesting. I can’t understand certain things, though.Mind can think of hundreds of matters within minutes, but how this machines match the speed and read the thoughts? may be I will visit this blog again leisurely and try to understand it better,thanks tt, your knowledge always amaze me.
It reminds me of an idea I had for part of a book I want to right. Looks like I’m going to have to hurry up and write it.
It was fascinating, the brain is the big unknown, it’s really the one thing we don’t understand.
I already despise adverts catered to childrens tv channels, and the thought of your environment being influenced by your mind, which is influended by your envirnoment, scares me.
Awesome find!
Timethief,
I checked out this post 2 days ago. And came back today to see people’s reactions and comments.
The only thing I can say now is that I am not fascinated by this.
Take care!
Fascinating video. A line from this which struck me was, “There really is no science fiction anymore.” Hopefully these techniques will be used as tools, rather than weapons. The idea of thought control comes to mind. So much of our privacy is already gone. I would at least like my thoughts to be my own. If this can be used to further advance recovery from brain injuries, it would be a giant leap, wouldn’t it?
I think that it is still an infancy stage to really predict what an individual is thinking as all scans and tests are really jus estimating the pattern of “hot spots” on various forms of brain imaging.
In fact, behaviour science is more likely to do better job in pattern recognition and gathering signs to predict behaviour.
Profiling as some agency workers call it?
I am a fan of evolution and technology and embrace the novel techniques and discoveries. My one concern is that man to often fails first develop the wisdom necessary for fully understanding the implications of new technology even in the honest pursuit of a goal. As with genetic engineering and in atomic sciences. Hopefully, mankind is as rapidly developing the wisdom necessary to keep pace with the rapid, even exponential growth of technology. Sadly, it seems that is primarily where the risk lies. Furthermore, all novel technology is at some point effectively used against people of this world in negative, controlling ways and that is surely not going to end quickly. Lest we hope that with the burgeoning of the “birth” or rebirth of human consciousness during this transitional time, that we as humanity will take that collective leap to new paradigms of existence. Deep stuff I know…P.S.- I used to research & study the Hypothalamus.
Hey timethief! You said you had suffered from a head injury before? How severe was it if you don’t mind me asking. Also, you should check this out! I found this a few months back. Really interesting!
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html
Let me know what you think! (=