Reading Your Mind, Endless Applications

Continuing with another article I have written for my bi-weekly column in the Warrington Times (UF student run business newspaper):

Reading Your Mind, Endless Applications

By Nick Carson - Published Issue 3, 5th Oct’09

It’s the subject of numerous science fiction movies: the ability for an outside source to access your brain to identify what you are thinking. Scientists, led by Berkeley researchers Jack Gallant and Thomas Naselaris, have developed a method of reconstructing an image produced in your mind purely by tracking neural activity. The method involves using fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), a specialized type of MRI scan that measures blood flow through the brain. The researchers focused on parts of the brain accountable for processing visual information. By monitoring active parts of the brain responsible for visual processing, they were successfully able to identify images within the brain. Currently, the technology allows researchers to pull an image from a large database that represents what a subject has seen– not quite a full reconstruction method. Through development, the technology is expected to make gains towards reconstructing visual images from scratch. That is where applications will really come into play.

Imagine being able to electronically search for pictures by using your mind. Simply thinking of a random object or a friend/acquaintance could one day produce that image on your personal computer. This could have far-reaching applications for new search platforms by, for instance, allowing you to navigate the web based solely on images produced by your brain. The days of simply thinking about what you want to say and seeing the words appear on a computer may quickly become a reality. In fact, the Bing search engine by Microsoft has already launched a new method of search dubbed “Visual Search”. It allows a user to search the internet by presenting them with a grid of images instead of using the typical text option we are all familiar with. Couple this with technology that allows images to be accessed directly from your brain and you have the ability to interact with the internet via your mind.

This technology could be adapted for a variety of uses. For example, consider the impact on the justice system. Investigations might utilize brain scans that depict the very scene of a crime from the point of view of a witness or culprit.

Image reconstruction may even alter the basic methods of computer operation. Identifying spoken words and language could pave the way for computer controlled interactions. In the near future, simply thinking about words and speech could produce them directly to your computer. The keyboard and mouse have been around since the birth of personal computers as our primary method of input. They remain two of the few technologies yet to be completely revolutionized. These devices are simply middle men in our interactions with computers. We think about words and images and rely on our fingers to produce what we were thinking. These technologies aim to cut out that primitive and inefficient process.

Who will be the new companies to emerge into the technology of computer-brain interactions? Although fully developed technologies might be decades away, the right insight and planning for this revolution could prove valuable. It is to be seen whether current leaders in the market will prepare and invest appropriately or if new, up-and-coming companies will seize the opportunity.