Thread: Dreams could be soon watched on computer screens

When people look at an object, the eye's retina recognises an image that is converted into electrical signals which go into the brain's visual cortex.
The team, led by chief researcher Yukiyasu Kamitani, succeeded in catching the signals and then reconstructing what people saw.

Err....

So let me get this straight.

You look at an object, signals are made, the machine 'catches' the signals. And the machine reconstructs what you saw.

Um. Then how can it read your mind? Sounds like it just reading signals that are on their way to your mind.

When you dream, are signals sent from your eye to your brain? I dunno. Technically you aren't 'seeing' anything, its all already in your head, so maybe no signals are needed, therefore the machine wouldn't pick it up.

To me it sounds like you have to actually be physically looking at the object at the time of the machine reading you so that it can pick up your 'signals'. Doesnt sound like mind reading, it sounds like 'signals-being-sent-to-the-brain'-reading, to me :p

...succeeded in catching the signals and then reconstructing what people saw.

It says 'saw', not 'thought'. Right?

Originally Posted by Dizko

When people look at an object, the eye's retina recognises an image that is converted into electrical signals which go into the brain's visual cortex.
The team, led by chief researcher Yukiyasu Kamitani, succeeded in catching the signals and then reconstructing what people saw.

Err....

So let me get this straight.

You look at an object, signals are made, the machine 'catches' the signals. And the machine reconstructs what you saw.

Um. Then how can it read your mind? Sounds like it just reading signals that are on their way to your mind.

When you dream, are signals sent from your eye to your brain? I dunno. Technically you aren't 'seeing' anything, its all already in your head, so maybe no signals are needed, therefore the machine wouldn't pick it up.

To me it sounds like you have to actually be physically looking at the object at the time of the machine reading you so that it can pick up your 'signals'. Doesnt sound like mind reading, it sounds like 'signals-being-sent-to-the-brain'-reading, to me :p

...succeeded in catching the signals and then reconstructing what people saw.

It says 'saw', not 'thought'. Right?

no, the point of the experiment was to make sure the device could interpret signals correctly. These same signals that your brain receives are the ones the machine received, so they are saying they have the same conversion your brain goes through in this computer. Now, since they know that works right, they can start trying to pick up signals from your brain and convert those as well, since your brain has to go though a signal converting process for thoughts too.

great article, great idea...kind of impractical but Im excited to see how it develops.

Oh My God.... Ok someone in the 'who here is not a druggie' just mentioned Idiocracy, so I watched it. I fear now that it is coming true.
GUYS, READ THE ARTICLE!

Originally Posted by Dizko

Misleading article imo.

No it's not misleading. It says what it is. They got people to look at some images for 12 seconds. The computer (fMRI) mapped the blood flow changes in their brain. NOW when they think of the images again, the computer recognises the blood flow changes that correlated to the image.

E.G I look at the number 4. Pattern A happens.
I look at the number 3. Pattern B happens.

The computer records the patterns of blood flow through the fMRI.

Next time I think of the number 4 the computer looks at the blood flow through the fMRI and realises I am looking at number 4 because the blood flow is Pattern A and not Pattern B.

This is ALL that is happening. They are not going to be able to show visuals of dreams using this technique it would be way to complex.

Cummon guys, I'm drunk and I could understand that perfectly!

I just found something amazing on just this subject! This is purely amazingly fantastical how similar it is to the things in this subject! http://smotri.com/video/view/?id=u8041270d7f