PDA

View Full Version : Scientists use machine to read minds



skywizard
30th March 2014, 19:26
In the study 30 participants' brains were scanned while shown one of 300 photos of various faces. Using the participants' collected patterns of neural activity scientists were able to reconstruct the faces they saw.

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1738462.1396049558!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_1200/scanner29n-1-web.jpg
Using only data from an fMRI scan, researchers led by a Yale University undergraduate have accurately reconstructed images of human faces, seen first left and then right, as viewed by other people.

Soon they’ll be able to see exactly what you're thinking!



An astounding new study using brain scanners has demonstrated its ability to blindly reconstruct faces seen in people's thoughts.

In the study published in Neurlomage, 30 participants' brains were scanned while shown one of 300 photos of various faces of different ethnicities, skin colors and facial expressions.

What happened next were generally successful reconstructions of the faces in sketch-like images using the participants' collected patterns of neural activity.

The images are blurry and not quite exact, but still some of the reconstructions appear truly astounding.

Of the 30 readings, the subject's skin color was right every time while 24 of the readings correctly detected the presence or absence of a smile.

Two out of three correctly determined the hair color of the person pictured, and about half selected the correct hair color.

"There's definitely room for improvement," Alan S. Cowen, a graduate student at the University of California Berkeley who co-authored the study, told Fox News.


"It is mind reading"
The study, using functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, calls itself the first to attempt facial reconstruction through thoughts.



"It is mind reading," said Cowen.

It's hoped that the process could one day assist in solving crimes, better understand mental disorders and even recording dreams.

"You can see how people perceive faces depending on different disorders, like autism — and use that to help diagnose therapies," said Cowen.

As for the likelihood it could be used to extract memories, Cowen assures they're still ways away from that.

"This sort of technology can only read active parts of the brain. So you couldn't read passive memories — you would have to get the person to imagine the memory to read it," Cowen said.



Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/scientists-reconstruct-faces-people-thinking-mind-reading-study-article-1.1738463



peace...