Slashdot Mirror


Mind Over Machine

broKenfoLd writes "Monkeys moving robotic arms by manipulating a cursor on a computer screen, simply by thinking about it? Mice who cause their water tube to dispense some refreshing H2O just by wishing it? Signal processing and decoding has long been a dream of Matrix fans and lazy system administrators for years, and science is amazingly keeping up! Popular Science's Carl Zimmer has written a fascinating piece documenting recent progress in decoding brain signals and interpreting commands issued from thoughts alone. If you heard a single violin playing Beethoven's 5th, you would be able to tell what piece of music was being played even though the rest of the orchestra was not heard. In the same way, by monitoring a relatively few neurons, computers can recognize patterns and allow programming based on these patterns to say, know if a mouse is thinking about pushing his water lever. You can pass the time waiting for Matrix-style video games and motionless system adminstration/utilization by reading the full article."

7 of 331 comments (clear)

  1. FP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Ooooohaaaaaahaaaaaaaah

    First Post!
    -DT

  2. First Post!!! by deja206 · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Gotta...burn...karma!

    1. Re:First Post!!! by deja206 · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      ...and I thought I was lucky today... =))

  3. YOU FAIL IT!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Loser!!!

  4. detention by GillBates0 · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    it's only 7 minutes since the 6 page long story was posted and all you slackers are already posting without RTFA. shame on you. now go back to studying or you'll be detained after school.

    --
    An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
  5. -1 Not Funny by froody · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Pinky?

    I think so, brain, but you and Natalie Portman? What would the children look like?

  6. Martha by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    Ok.

    I've got the hots for powerful women. My wet-dream would be to submit to Carly Fiorina, Madonna, Hillary C and now to Martha.

    She's a hottie!

    I know what I'm going to do tonight (with my penis, that is).