From the Community: Can brain waves be deciphered?

Scientists may have found the link to deciphering actual words from a person’s brain waves. We're taking a closer look at this quite interesting story from the Current community. Check it out and add your two cents:

Words from brain waves may let scientists read your mind
Submitted by Dagum

In a recent study, scientists implanted sensors in a group of epilepsy patients to determine the source of a seizure. Neuroscientist Brian Pasley and his UC Berkeley team read words to epilepsy patients and ran those brain waves through a program that translated the brain's electronic signals into actual sounds. While researchers are far from reading people's brain waves, it may be possible one day.

“There are ethical concerns,” Pasley says. “Not with the current research, but with the possible extensions of it. There has to be a balance. If we are somehow able to encode someone’s thoughts instantaneously that might have great benefits for the thousands of severely disabled people who are unable to communicate right now. On the other hand, there are great concerns if this were applied to people who didn’t want that."

The community reacts on the new technology that can potentially help people who cannot speak:

TanzaniteDiamonds: "Fascinating! Is this process as effective for people who are multi-lingual? How will this technology be able to decipher if I'm thinking in English, French, or Spanish?"

Varex_Sythe: "It is very interesting. For a moment lets skip the paranoia (due though it may be) and look at what this could mean medically and therapeutically. What could this imply for people in a coma who still have brain activity? Could people in a waking coma finally be able to communicate with others instead of just being trapped inside of their body? Hell, what would happen if you used this to study dreams? Certainly, there are a lot of negative things that could come from this, but there are a lot of positives that could come from it as well."

Dagum: "There could be very positive applications for this. I was discussing that concept on a previous post. Technology is neutral. Whether it's applied for good or evil depends on how good or evil the men are applying it. Which begs the questions: Who comes up with the applications for new technology in your society? Who applies technology in your society? Who has access to the new technology first?"

Tayllerand: "Can this be use as a military weapon? If it is yes, then they can get rid off all enemies of the state. Very nice."

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