Playing 20 Questions with the Mind.
September 25, 2015 12:35 PM Subscribe
Researchers from the University of Washington Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences recently used a direct brain-to-brain connection to enable pairs of participants to play a question-and-answer game by transmitting signals from one brain to the other over the Internet. The experiment, detailed in PLOS ONE (open access), is thought to be the first to show that two brains can be directly linked to allow one person to guess what’s on another person’s mind.
From the article: The first participant, or “respondent,” wears a cap connected to an electroencephalography (EEG) machine that records electrical brain activity. The respondent is shown an object (for example, a dog) on a computer screen, and the second participant, or “inquirer,” sees a list of possible objects and associated questions. With the click of a mouse, the inquirer sends a question and the respondent answers “yes” or “no” by focusing on one of two flashing LED lights attached to the monitor, which flash at different frequencies.
A “no” or “yes” answer both send a signal to the inquirer via the Internet and activate a magnetic coil positioned behind the inquirer’s head. But only a “yes” answer generates a response intense enough to stimulate the visual cortex and cause the inquirer to see a flash of light known as a “phosphene.” The phosphene — which might look like a blob, waves or a thin line — is created through a brief disruption in the visual field and tells the inquirer the answer is yes. Through answers to these simple yes or no questions, the inquirer identifies the correct item.
More on brain-to-brain connections from UW ILABS:
A Direct Brain-to-Brain Interface in Humans (previously)
From the article: The first participant, or “respondent,” wears a cap connected to an electroencephalography (EEG) machine that records electrical brain activity. The respondent is shown an object (for example, a dog) on a computer screen, and the second participant, or “inquirer,” sees a list of possible objects and associated questions. With the click of a mouse, the inquirer sends a question and the respondent answers “yes” or “no” by focusing on one of two flashing LED lights attached to the monitor, which flash at different frequencies.
A “no” or “yes” answer both send a signal to the inquirer via the Internet and activate a magnetic coil positioned behind the inquirer’s head. But only a “yes” answer generates a response intense enough to stimulate the visual cortex and cause the inquirer to see a flash of light known as a “phosphene.” The phosphene — which might look like a blob, waves or a thin line — is created through a brief disruption in the visual field and tells the inquirer the answer is yes. Through answers to these simple yes or no questions, the inquirer identifies the correct item.
More on brain-to-brain connections from UW ILABS:
A Direct Brain-to-Brain Interface in Humans (previously)
Metafilter: Transmitting Signals from One Brain to Another Since 1999.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 12:43 PM on September 25, 2015 [10 favorites]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 12:43 PM on September 25, 2015 [10 favorites]
In what sense is this "direct"?
posted by overeducated_alligator at 12:56 PM on September 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by overeducated_alligator at 12:56 PM on September 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
Telepathy has always been my favorite fictional thing, so if you see anything flashing in here, it's just me reading this post and thinking yeeeEEEEESSSSSS really loud.
posted by jinjo at 12:56 PM on September 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by jinjo at 12:56 PM on September 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
In what sense is this "direct"?
In the sense that no other physical action is needed beyond the focusing visually on the object on screen. Yes, an internet connection and electromagnetic headgear are required, but the participants are using only brain activity to communicate through these devices.
posted by Existential Dread at 1:00 PM on September 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
In the sense that no other physical action is needed beyond the focusing visually on the object on screen. Yes, an internet connection and electromagnetic headgear are required, but the participants are using only brain activity to communicate through these devices.
posted by Existential Dread at 1:00 PM on September 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
We're kind of used to exaggerated claims based on various advanced scanners (CT, FMRI, MRA, MRS, PET, SPECT, MEG, whatever); now we're spooling all the way back to exaggerated claims based on EEG? What next, reading minds by feeling each other's bumps?
posted by Segundus at 1:07 PM on September 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Segundus at 1:07 PM on September 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
MetaFilter: an internet connection and electromagnetic headgear are required
posted by Fizz at 1:11 PM on September 25, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 1:11 PM on September 25, 2015 [6 favorites]
My brain sent a signal to my extremity to press a button, this button is recorded and sent to a remote observer by making an impression upon their visual cortex connected to their brain. Telepathy!!!111!!
Nonsense.
posted by smidgen at 1:52 PM on September 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Nonsense.
posted by smidgen at 1:52 PM on September 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
electromagnetic headgear
Is that what we're calling it now?
posted by thecaddy at 1:52 PM on September 25, 2015
Is that what we're calling it now?
posted by thecaddy at 1:52 PM on September 25, 2015
You kind of have to wonder if this was originally just an experiment to determine whether people can correctly guess whether or not the TMS device is turned on, but then they said "How can we design this experiment in a way to get the coolest-sounding title on the press release?"
Product idea: trilby with a bluetooth-enabled TMS device in it that pairs with your phone and a location-sharing web app that your friends (or nemeses) are also on, allowing neckbeards to suddenly get a distant look in their eyes and say "A tremor in the Force... the last time I felt it was in the presence of my old master" just before someone walks into the comic store. Bam, I'm a bazillionaire.
posted by XMLicious at 2:23 PM on September 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
Product idea: trilby with a bluetooth-enabled TMS device in it that pairs with your phone and a location-sharing web app that your friends (or nemeses) are also on, allowing neckbeards to suddenly get a distant look in their eyes and say "A tremor in the Force... the last time I felt it was in the presence of my old master" just before someone walks into the comic store. Bam, I'm a bazillionaire.
posted by XMLicious at 2:23 PM on September 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
Oh hey I just came in from the laser cutter thread to grumble about the gratuitous interposition of the Internet.
posted by Dr Dracator at 2:28 PM on September 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Dr Dracator at 2:28 PM on September 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
Wow, a big fat EM pulse right into your brain straight from "teh internet"! Sign me RIGHT up...
Can't wait to read my Yahoo! thought-mail and have this happen when Doritos tries to load an ad in my brain. Strangely enough, thought-mail only consists of messages from somebody named 'yes' constantly thinking 'YES!'. Must be a good time on that end...
posted by The Power Nap at 2:41 PM on September 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Can't wait to read my Yahoo! thought-mail and have this happen when Doritos tries to load an ad in my brain. Strangely enough, thought-mail only consists of messages from somebody named 'yes' constantly thinking 'YES!'. Must be a good time on that end...
posted by The Power Nap at 2:41 PM on September 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Until 4chan is eradicated there is no fucking way I'm connecting my brain directly to the Internet.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 5:44 PM on September 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 5:44 PM on September 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
Isn't the watered-down twenty questions game a little superfluous here? Why not "look at light A" and the other person says if they see a flash of light and "look at light B" and the other person says they don't see a flash of light. The crappy UI guess-that-I'm-thinking-of-tiramisu doesn't seem to add anything here.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:06 PM on September 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:06 PM on September 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Telepathy has always been my favorite fictional thing, so if you see anything flashing in here, it's just me reading this post and thinking yeeeEEEEESSSSSS really loud.
Oh, me too. I totally want to be a sensate so bad even though realistically speaking it'd be a very bad idea. But that would be brain communication hopefully with one or more nice (or ish, in the case of Wolfgang) people, not with like, everyone. That would be awful/lead to madness.
What this reminds me of is this super obscure book series I read in the 80's/90's or so. The heroine was named Sidney Scott Webster (dad was kind of a narcissist) and she could kind of get herself into an alpha state trance pretty easily and her dad came up with some kind of computer (named Samantha) that did this sort of thing: Sidney could get her brain into an alpha state and then communicate with the computer. She had a best friend/partner/love interest named Josh (called himself J.J. Rivington III, he kinda dressed like a lawyer despite being in high school) and their relationship was pretty entertaining to me. I remember at one point they got their equivalent of cell phone-type devices with the same sort of thing Samantha had going on, and at one point Josh got kidnapped or something with one of them on him and he had to get into alpha state on his device to send Sidney a message.
Um, if anyone knows anything about this series (I dunno, like a title? Googling character names got me nowhere), read it themselves, whatever, and wants to let me know where to find them, that'd be awesome, thanks.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:13 PM on September 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh, me too. I totally want to be a sensate so bad even though realistically speaking it'd be a very bad idea. But that would be brain communication hopefully with one or more nice (or ish, in the case of Wolfgang) people, not with like, everyone. That would be awful/lead to madness.
What this reminds me of is this super obscure book series I read in the 80's/90's or so. The heroine was named Sidney Scott Webster (dad was kind of a narcissist) and she could kind of get herself into an alpha state trance pretty easily and her dad came up with some kind of computer (named Samantha) that did this sort of thing: Sidney could get her brain into an alpha state and then communicate with the computer. She had a best friend/partner/love interest named Josh (called himself J.J. Rivington III, he kinda dressed like a lawyer despite being in high school) and their relationship was pretty entertaining to me. I remember at one point they got their equivalent of cell phone-type devices with the same sort of thing Samantha had going on, and at one point Josh got kidnapped or something with one of them on him and he had to get into alpha state on his device to send Sidney a message.
Um, if anyone knows anything about this series (I dunno, like a title? Googling character names got me nowhere), read it themselves, whatever, and wants to let me know where to find them, that'd be awesome, thanks.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:13 PM on September 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Its the Computer Detective series by Lavinia Harris.
I can't pretend to have known that, it was actually the first result when googling "Sidney Scott Webster ". You must have misgoogled the name somehow.
posted by Justinian at 9:44 PM on September 25, 2015
I can't pretend to have known that, it was actually the first result when googling "Sidney Scott Webster ". You must have misgoogled the name somehow.
posted by Justinian at 9:44 PM on September 25, 2015
Gah! All I got were a bunch of guys named Scott Webster when I was doing it!
Thank you!
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:34 PM on September 26, 2015
Thank you!
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:34 PM on September 26, 2015
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Wait, I thought that was what it did already.
posted by gottabefunky at 12:38 PM on September 25, 2015 [13 favorites]