It’s been almost a century since psychiatrist Hans Berger made the first electroencephalogram, providing a glimpse into the electric nature of the human brain. EEG readings have helped countless people struggling to recover from ailments ranging from epilepsy and sleep disorders to head injuries and brain tumors. Technology has come a long way since then, and artificial intelligence may soon give us a new brain technology revolution, with advances in the treatment of ALS, strokes and other conditions.
As a teenager in a mentorship program, I decided to study the brain after watching a neurosurgeon implant an electrode deep into the brain of a patient with Parkinson’s whose tremors were making it impossible for her to hold a pen or drink from a cup. The surgeon implanted the electrode—designed to deliver the right amount of electricity to the exact part of the brain responsible for the tremors—and awoke the patient, her skull still open, to adjust the implant’s settings. A few turns of a dial and the shaking stopped. She was cured.
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In recent decades, advances in neuroscience technology have allowed computers to do a variety of sophisticated tasks, such as playing chess and recognizing faces. But now, scientists are taking this even further – they are working to create computers, or “neuro-computers” that can read human minds.
These neuro-computers are based on neural networks, which are computer systems that are based on biological neural networks in the brain. The neural networks are designed to take inputs, process them, and give reliable and relevant outputs that come from the mind. For example, a neuro-computer system could be fed a set of visual images and it could identify what the person who viewed the images is feeling.
In order to build these neuro-computers, researchers are making use of a range of sophisticated technologies. One such technology is electroencephalography (EEG), which is a technique that uses electrodes placed on the scalp to measure the electrical activity in the brain. As the person views images or responds to questions, the electrical signals in their brain are converted into digital data which can be analyzed to identify patterns in the brain’s responses.
The data is then used to build a model of the brain’s functioning, which can then be applied to an artificial neural network. This will allow the neuro-computer to identify patterns in the brain’s responses to stimuli and to respond appropriately.
The applications of this technology are vast. For example, it could be used to understand the inner workings of the brain and to diagnose and treat neurological disorders. It could also be used to help people with mental illness and to analyze people’s decision-making processes.
With further research, it is possible that computers will soon be able to read our minds and interpret our thoughts. As humanity moves further into the digital age, the possibilities for this technology are infinite. It is an exciting time for the world of technology and our understanding of the human brain.
