Machine reads human mind, translates to words

Scientists have developed a machine that allows sensors attached to the brain’s speech center to translate brain waves into words, making it possible to read the human mind.

In a Sky News report, researchers were able to record brain activity after fastening “two button-sized grids of 16 tiny electrodes” to an epileptic patient whose skull had been partially removed for an operation. A research team recorded brain activity as the patient recited the words “yes, no, hot, cold, hungry, thirsty, hello, goodbye, more and less”. In the study, the team discovered that when the patient spoke the words into a computer, 76% to 90% of the time the brain waves matched the words. A bioengineer at The University of Utah, Professor Bradley Greger, told Sky News “his team was beside themselves with excitement when the technology worked”. Because thought and speech produce similar brain signals, Prof. Greger is optimistic his team will build a voice box capable of repeating the words a person is thinking. "We have been able to decode spoken words using only signals from the brain with a device that has promise for long-term use in paralyzed patients who cannot now speak,” said Prof. Greger. "I would call it 'brain reading' and we hope that in two or three years it will be available for use for paralyzed patients." “The challenge is developing the computer software that can accurately interpret the complex pattern of electronic pulses," said Sky News health correspondent Thomas Moore. “It’s like learning a new language and, so far, the scientists can only decipher a very basic vocabulary.” Regardless of the challenges, since the brain of a paralyzed person produces the same signals as an able-bodied person, this technology offers great hope, especially for those suffering from locked-in syndrome, a condition in which a person, although mentally aware, is unable to communicate due to complete paralysis, with the possible exception of voluntary eye movement.