Post by Bozur on Feb 24, 2009 2:57:59 GMT -5
Canadians can read your mind
technology.timesonline.co.uk — Toronto scientists have invented a machine that can guess what you are thinking, and it's 80 per cent accurate. More… (General Sciences)
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From The Sunday Times
February 22, 2009
Canadians can read your mind
Toronto scientists have invented a machine that can guess what you are thinking, and it's 80 per cent accurate
Mark Harris, in Seattle, New Tech City
Be very careful what you think about Shania Twain. Not only is she a national hero in her homeland of Canada, she’s popular in America too, with the bestselling country album of all time to her name. Now, new technology developed by scientists in Toronto enables Canadians to detect how you feel about their favourite singer – without you even saying a word.
A team of researchers from the University of Toronto has developed a brain-scanning headset that can detect a person’s preferences, with an accuracy of 80%. The headset is fitted with fibre-optic cables that emit infrared light at around the same frequency as a typical TV remote control.
This harmless radiation is beamed into the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain associated with decision-making. Here it is scattered by blood vessels, and the reflections are picked up by sensors on the headband. By measuring the amount of oxygen in the blood, researchers can decode brain activity and determine whether a person prefers Twain’s country pop to, say, the crooning of Céline Dion.
Previous brain-reading systems required people to sing songs in their heads to trigger a response, and used the expensive MRI scanners found in hospitals. The new technology is based on cheap, lightweight infrared emitters and needs nothing more than its user to decide which of two options they favour.
Researchers are hoping to develop a brain-reading headset to help disabled children express themselves. The next logical step would be a head-mounted remote control to enable people to choose channels or control video games without lifting a finger. Best of all, nobody would hog this remote control, because everyone’s mind works differently. Increased brain activity indicates acceptance for some people and rejection for others, meaning headsets need to be calibrated personally.
technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5774191.ece?print=yes