Technique May Lead to Photos of People's Memories and Dreams

A research team led by Professor Jack Gallant has pioneered a technique which at some stage in the future could allow scientists to capture images of memories and dreams.

The Berkeley team, which published its study online Wednesday in the journal Nature, used a brain scan to find patterns of activity when people looked at black-and-white images of items such as bales of hay, a starfish or a sports car. When the people then looked at different photos, a software program drew on activity in the brain's vision center to guess which images they saw with up to 92 percent accuracy

www.chicagotribune.com...



This could be dangerous in the wrong hands.

[edit on 6-3-2008 by Master_Wii]

My obvious concern would be for lawmakers to say no one should be subjected to any form of brain-reading involuntarily, covertly, or without complete informed concent.

This technology can do so much good....but like I said. theres so many ways for this to go wrong.



[edit on 6-3-2008 by Master_Wii]

Pre-Crime. School systems will show pictures to children and determine if they could possibly kill, molest, steal, fight, think freely.

They'll cordon off the future criminals and send them for reprogramming for the public good.

I seriously hope the world doesn't go in that direction....
You never know for 100% certain if someone's going to do something unless they actually do it. I like this technology, but I hope it doesn't end up being used in such ways....

reply to post by Master_Wii


Did they mention that Tesla developed this concept a long time ago and was seriously working on the idea?

(He did so because his own imagination was so powerful that he - allegedly - could see things in his "mind" as clearly as the 3-D objects in "real" life.)

It reminds me of the movie "The Final Cut" with Robin Williams. Great movie, definitely portrays the pros and cons of such a technology. A must-see, and I would describe it but I think it's best to watch it yourself...

I think for Hollywood this would be a boon! Think about the ideas that could be spawned into feature films through the writers own mind! What a great way to capture artwork that would be otherwise unreachable and unpaintable.

It doesn't always have to be used for evil purposes. Yes it can but there are sometimes legitamate perposes for such a technology.

After browsing through the bland news landscape here this is the piece of interesting news of the day.

How many more pieces of science-fiction need to turn into reality for people to finally wake up and see that anything is possible.

I agree that "Final Cut" is a good sci-fi movie on it...well, fairly good.

This is great! I've had some amazing dreams that I wish hadn't faded so quickly after awakening. Not amazing in the sense of the experience, but the information they contained... I can only bring back small pieces after waking up.

Of course there's pros and cons to all new technology. Hopefully the gov won't start spying on our dreams as well!

I've not watched Final Cut, but this news did remind me of another sci-fi movie.

Code 46

While there Maria shows William her "memory scrapbook" (an electronic booklet that records and displays video from the user's mind), which contains memories of her parents and close friends.

You're right, Skyfloating. Anything is possible.

Will this then lead to the technology such as shown in 'Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind', where people can erase bad memories?

The potential for abuse is scary, the potential for positive uses is amazing.

Will this then lead to the technology such as shown in 'Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind', where people can erase bad memories?

You don't need technology to do that (nor do I think it would be a good idea).
You can transform your memories into anything you wish.
And you can do it now.

I am serious.
Ask other people, if you don't believe me.

Romulan mind probe lol! I can see a lot of good uses and a lot of bad uses as with any really advanced tech. Reliving old times or viewing an awsome dream would rock though lol.

Originally posted by ColdWater
Pre-Crime. School systems will show pictures to children and determine if they could possibly kill, molest, steal, fight, think freely.

They'll cordon off the future criminals and send them for reprogramming for the public good.

Pffft. It'll be used to make new kinds of porn, is all. I'm sorry, we've gone through god knows how many ways of sharing information these days, and ultimately, all of them? Porn.

Nice, what if we could see other animals memories and dreams?

That would be very interesting.

It would be interesting to be able to see what babies are thinking. It would give us a full understanding of their learning process. The bad side would be to find out your baby is planning your demise.... (Family Guy joke)

This would be interesting if the technique could be used on animals as well. I wonder what their thinking?

It's seems completely obvious to me that this technology most certainly will be used by governments to covertly read peoples minds.
It wouldn't matter if the scientists involved decided that this technological advance must be abandoned for ethical reasons, if they ceased study and burned all their current results and apparatus. The article has been printed. It is now known that this is possible. It will be developed and added to the arsenal of various governments.
Governments are just extensions of corporations, they have been for years. Every attainable advantage is jealously hoarded. Every good deed, either a public relations job or societal maintenance to ease the general public gently, but surely into losing more and more personal rights, transferred to corporations which control the government.
The rich and powerful don't need a conspiracy to bring about a NWO. It's being achieved very nicely by corporate goals. This new technology will be a very handy tool towards the corporate dream employee contract "Your life is proudly sponsored by Enron/MacDonald's/EDS/etc. Sponsorship termination is entirely at the discretion of the Corporate Entity." and the dream consumer who has a legal obligation to commit a percentage of their allowance to purchasing approved products for the good of the economy.
Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating and being cynical. But the superiority complex of our governments/corporations tells me this little trinket is too valuable not to be abused. There's just far too much potential.

Now the government will be able to view out dreams? Yeah, thats great.

"Sir, you were having a violent dream, your under arrest for possible aggressive tendencies."

Is it not already acheived by our Govt???
what are mind control programs they already have?? anyways..

its good to have images created for the dreams we have... I usually have dreams of my father who is no more in this world... atleast i will be able to see him again...

[edit on 13-3-2008 by communicator]