Brain-to-Brain Thought Communication Demonstrated

[Tom Goldman]

Brain-to-Brain Thought Communication Demonstrated

A recent experiment completed at the University of Southampton might not prove that humans can communicate telepathically on their own, but it does prove that even without a mutant gene anything may be possible with the aid of technology.

At this point, we all know that someday everything will be controlled through brain power alone. All of us will eventually be sitting silent and alone in dark rooms as single tears stream down our faces due to the realization that we've lost our humanity. Nonetheless, the world still needs smart people to actually get us there, like Dr Christopher James from the University of Southampton, whom has recently completed a successful test of brain-to-brain communication.

For the experiment, Dr. James hooked up two test subjects to EEG amplifiers and had the first transmit a binary digit by imagining either right or left arm movement. This transmission went to the second test subject's PC, which would flash an LED lamp at one of two frequencies too subtle to be picked up. The transmitted information was then extracted from the second subject's brain and interpreted by a PC to be either a 1 or a 0.

This boffin's (I've always wanted to use that word) aim was to take the growing field of brain-computer interfacing one step further. Dr. James is deeming the result of his experiment "true brain-to-brain interfacing," which could have benefits "such as helping people with severe debilitating muscle wasting diseases, or with the so-called 'locked-in' syndrome to communicate, and it also has applications for gaming." Not only is this boffin (I'm just going to keep using it) a super smart dude, but I interpret that last statement about "gaming" to mean that his goal here is to figure out how to communicate "more dots" to his World of Warcraft raid party more easily.

I hate to say it, but part of Dr. James's experiment bothers me a little. The use of LED lamps to secretly place information in the second person's brain seems like a cop-out to me. This is more like brain-to-computer-to-brain communication, rather than direct brain-to-brain. Far be it from me to criticize the good doctor, as he is the boffin, and I am the internet-typing-guy. All things considered, this could be the first step on a journey towards humanity never using vocal chords again.

Source: Slashdot [http://www.soton.ac.uk/mediacentre/news/2009/oct/09_135.shtml]

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[wewontdie11]

About damn time! I've been waiting on progress in telepathy for years now. The next 20 years or so should prove interesting in this field.

 

[ma55ter_fett]

Intresting, but I must admit I do not understand the deal with the LED lights, if a light flashes for right arm movement and then flashes diffrently for left arm movement wouldn't that be a brain to computer to eye to brain communication?

Not sure i understand the process and logic of this experiment from this article.

That being said once the technology is available (thinking some sort of brain amplifier) will we get charged for long distance thought communication? Will i have to by a thinking card? (as opposed to a calling card)

 

[oppp7]

Sweet. I was getting tired of having to move my mouth everytime I wanted to talk.
OT: Sounds good for people with degenerative diseases, but this could be the first step in mind control or subliminal advertisement.

 

[Croaker42]

Hey I just love the brin to computer aspect of this experiment/thing. Puts us one step closer to Ghost in the Shell like tek.

 

[VanityGirl]

That's cool, but I'm pretty sure to some degree, people can read each other's thoughts.
Twins are supposedly very good at telepathic communication I here. I'm sure it's not like Jean Grey and Prof. X, but hey, it's something.

 

[Simalacrum]

Sounds like telepathic communication has a long way to go. Though... considering the speed at humans progress in the field of technology, I wouldn't be suprised if we have basic telepathy within the next 15-20 years. Also, I wish there was a demonstration video of the experiment.

 

[MercenaryCanary]

Hooray for telepathic communication!

 

[jasoncyrus]

It's a complete cop out really. The fact that it needs an LED lighting up before the second brain registers it means...well absolutely squat.

No where even close to what we can current do with cybernetic implants. We all remember the guy who moved a robotic arm over the itnernet using just the chip he had implanted in himself and his brain power right?

 

[TIMESWORDSMAN]

Someone should tell this man to read War of the Worlds and mention to him how the highly advanced aliens had become so dependent on their technology that they could not leave their mechanical suits.

 

[Valate_v1legacy]

Dear god no! It would blow my cover unless timed right!

 

[Archemetis]

Other scientists, I forget where have also managed to create (I think they created it anyway) a transplanted enhancement for the movement center of the Brain, basically a chip is placed in the appropriate area of the brain and the person then transmits thoughts of movement to a corresponding device.

For sake of example, a remote-controlled car.

To achieve "Telekinetic-like" movement the person would have to invisiualize the car moving, or think of the concept of moving forward, the thoughts woudl be processed into information that can be recieved by computers and then re-directed to the car, causing it to move forward.

At least I think that's how it works, It was made for people who have debilitating illnesses or amputees. I think there was even a use for deaf people too, but I forget what it was.

Either way it's interesting that the world's smart people are trying to make us all the more lazy even though they must be more aware than anyone what would happen to humanity as a species if we were allowed to be MORE lazy.

 

[CJJames]

Never been called a boffin before!

First up, I'm a biomedical engineer and my efforts are towards BCI and allowing people with limited to no communication ability to communicate with teh outside world - so the world is safe from any plans I may have to take over the world muahahhaa!

Yes it its possible to implant all sorts of electrodes in all sorts of neural regions and elicit some very interesting responses ... but you volunteer to be the dummy? and why would you do that? why would *I* do that?

Sometime in science you try something simply because you can - the question was: can we use standard BCI systems to make a brain-to-brain communication system - and can I do it without drilling a hole in my students' skul!! We've shown that it *is* possible - its also very limited at this stage but nonetheless it shows that with some lateral thinking invormation can be conveyed. As for the ise of technology in between - of cousre there is going to be something (a computer, whatever,) in between - anything else would be to try and re-evolve humans (not sure we can do that at this stage

This is not ESP, mind-to-mind, telepathy etc - in fact the 2nd user is more a conduit than anything else, but that is because of the way we chose to input the information to teh second user ... as a proof of principle though the main point still holds.

Its all well and good to have flights of fantasy, (and I *will* be sure to ask the Martians when they come knocking about how we should not be so dependable on technlogy - maybe we can learn from them) but in science its baby steps first building on each previous discovery. and if you don't try you never know do you ...

The main thrust is BCI - and it is fact that such technology is giving people everywhere a new lease of life by enabling communication for them ...

Christopher
(Boffin par excellance!)

 

[traceur_]

Never been called a boffin before!

First up, I'm a biomedical engineer and my efforts are towards BCI and allowing people with limited to no communication ability to communicate with teh outside world - so the world is safe from any plans I may have to take over the world muahahhaa!

Yes it its possible to implant all sorts of electrodes in all sorts of neural regions and elicit some very interesting responses ... but you volunteer to be the dummy? and why would you do that? why would *I* do that?

Sometime in science you try something simply because you can - the question was: can we use standard BCI systems to make a brain-to-brain communication system - and can I do it without drilling a hole in my students' skul!! We've shown that it *is* possible - its also very limited at this stage but nonetheless it shows that with some lateral thinking invormation can be conveyed. As for the ise of technology in between - of cousre there is going to be something (a computer, whatever,) in between - anything else would be to try and re-evolve humans (not sure we can do that at this stage

This is not ESP, mind-to-mind, telepathy etc - in fact the 2nd user is more a conduit than anything else, but that is because of the way we chose to input the information to teh second user ... as a proof of principle though the main point still holds.

Its all well and good to have flights of fantasy, (and I *will* be sure to ask the Martians when they come knocking about how we should not be so dependable on technlogy - maybe we can learn from them) but in science its baby steps first building on each previous discovery. and if you don't try you never know do you ...

The main thrust is BCI - and it is fact that such technology is giving people everywhere a new lease of life by enabling communication for them ...

Christopher
(Boffin par excellance!)

So I won't be able order my brother to make me a vegemite sandwich with the power of my mind?

Bah! What good is it then?

 

[traceur_]

That's cool, but I'm pretty sure to some degree, people can read each other's thoughts.
Twins are supposedly very good at telepathic communication I here. I'm sure it's not like Jean Grey and Prof. X, but hey, it's something.

You do know that's a load of crap, right?

 

[GamingAwesome1]

The first step in telepathic communication! Something interesting gets posted here every day....

That's cool, but I'm pretty sure to some degree, people can read each other's thoughts.
Twins are supposedly very good at telepathic communication I here. I'm sure it's not like Jean Grey and Prof. X, but hey, it's something.

You do know that's a load of crap, right?

Exactly. I think twins can supposedly read each other minds because twins tend to have very similiar personalities, not always true but sometimes.

 

[manaman]

That's cool, but I'm pretty sure to some degree, people can read each other's thoughts.
Twins are supposedly very good at telepathic communication I here. I'm sure it's not like Jean Grey and Prof. X, but hey, it's something.

You do know that's a load of crap, right?

A big steaming one. People can read other people, but not their thoughts. Some people are so good at reading other people they can seem to be psychic. There is a master who for years would get people to think he was psychic, because he could read their reactions to what he was saying like a human lie detector. He would then tell them the truth and show them what tells they had that he was reading. I would think twins being around each other so much would be masters of reading each others body language and that would be where the myth of mentally bonded twins comes from.

As for as the subject in the OP. How could there be brain to brain communication if there was not a machine in the middle? I mean nobody thinks about all the equipment their call gets routed through when they talk on the phone, do they?