Get out the tinfoil hats boys, paranoia just got real. A recent article published in the “Journal Of Neural Engineering” revealed how scientists connected 16 microelectrodes to two different parts of a patients brain, allowing them to determine what word the person was thinking. The technology is being developed to help people that are paralyzed and unable to speak, and while the concept is still in its infancy, the scientists are starting to see some good results.
In fact, they are seeing great results. The study has focused on 10 specific words like yes, no, more, less, hot, cold, and hungry. They have had up to a 90% success rate in distinguishing between the brain activity associated with any two words, and up to 48% success in determining a single word among the field of 10. Of course, this the birth of the technology, and the success rates will improve over time.
[via Singularity Hub]