A subject wearing a cap working on an electroencephalography machine (EEG) and another subject located far away wearing a cap working on transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMG) connected together in the transfer of brain signals from the first subject to the second, namely the answerer to the asker, are the big step over the 2014 success of transmitting the brain pattern of hand movement to another person’s brain, causing the second person’s hand to move.
The answerer is shown a picture on the screen to be identified. The asker, on the other hand, is shown a screen with a 20 Questions style to pick what the former answered and has been sent to her as brain signals over the internet. There are two “Yes” and “No” flashing LED lights of different frequencies on either side of the screen. What is even more intriguing is that the asker tells “Yes” or “No” for the signal received by staring at either one of the lights.
Chantel Prat, a psychologist at the University of Washington and a co-author on the paper, explains that the computer can distinguish what light is looked at because different frequencies of light trigger different brain patterns in response.
If the answer transferred is yes, the magnetic coil in the asker’s cap, emits a visual cortex stimulating pulse. A phosphene is thus triggered from the stimulation pulse which can look like a flash of light, a blob, a blur, or a wavy line. In turn, if the answer is a no, the coil gives out the same sounds and sensations, but not a pulse strong enough to cause a phosphene. The asker notes the occurrence of the phosphene flash if any, and then moves onto the next.
This guessing game proved accurate 72 percent of the time. Cheating was counter checked by introducing certain instances where the participants thought they were communicating but no data was being sent. !8 percent results are correct at those times.
But as the scientists try to progress the level of communication among the subjects, there are many people who continue to express their scepticism on the matter. “People get nervous that others could read their thoughts without them being aware,” said Prat. “It’s not possible that someone could be doing this to you without you knowing about it and consenting to it.”
There are many things to be taken care of before this study can advance. Not to mention, the equipment is bulky and twitchy to the point that even a quarter inch away from the asker’s skull nullified the effect.
The nest approach to this study would be to conduct an experiment between high-achievers and strugglers to see if a better concentrating brain could signal and guide another towards improved learning and attentiveness.
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Author:Technology Blog
