Thought-based biometrics system underway?

Seems kind of old school if your brain interface doesn't provide extra-sensory enhancement or integration to robotic limbs, but researchers at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada are working on a system for thought-based biometrics by scanning and interpreting each individual's unique brain-wave signatures that occur when they think of a certain thought or can identify patterns uniquely -- kind of like that Peter Pan pixie dust thing, except in this case you get granted access to your box. For a variety of reasons the system isn't without its doubts and detractors, and will probably continue to have them so long as you have to wear an EEG cap on your scalp to get a reading -- though according to UCLA professor and BCI expert Jacques Vidal, rocking that headgear's the least of this system's problems. But if you expect us to shrug off any system that lets us interface with our gear via mind-link, you're sorely mistaken. So keep at it Carleton U, let's see some thought scanners.

[bpc @ Apr 27th 2006 9:38AM]

Remember that scene in Scanners where the guy's head explodes?

[chris @ Apr 27th 2006 9:47AM]

I can see the support requests now... "my pass-thought isn't working!" 'what is it?' "my wifes name" 'let me guess, you have a fight this morning' "uh, yeah"

[Jason @ Apr 27th 2006 9:52AM]

Wow. Yesterday, we get screens that can watch you, now we get mind reading machines... it really is 1984.

[banana @ Apr 27th 2006 10:28AM]

Maybe this will replace commercials one day. "Before you may continue watching the game, please concentrate on [cheap watery lite beer] for 15 seconds. Thank you"

[g dogg @ Apr 27th 2006 12:45PM]

sounds sexy, i think about cheap watery light beer all the time unless i'm thinkin of good beer

[Dre @ Apr 27th 2006 1:25PM]

Hey... I GO to Carleton U in Ottawa! I hope they dont start making us some kind of wierd test bed for electronic skull caps and peter pan pixie dust.... hahaha

[blahblah @ Apr 27th 2006 4:00PM]

You know what I can't wait for? A cheap, light, small, hand-held intent detector.

You know? Something that can detect whether the intent of those you are interacting with is malicious or benign? That way, all you malignant fuckers that hide your evil behind a masque of lies and deceit will have nowhere to hide! Glory to man and science! :-)

Oh, and being able to detect lies, psychopaths, and sociopaths will be really nice too. That way, we can put all such people where they belong: on the margins! (BTW, this is not a joke. I'm dead fucking serious.)

[JP @ Dec 20th 2006 7:05AM]

Did you know that 1 in 25 people are sociopaths? There is a book out, "The Sociopath Next Door", written by a respected psychologist and it's based on extensive scientific studies. These 'people' (are they human?) to tremendous damage in the world-- actually most are law abiding but they are very into power and they are brilliant deceivers and social manipulators and YES they have NO conscience. Imagine-- 1 in 25 people are like this. Very sad.

Maybe someday there will be a brain-scan for fetuses that will ID this problem before birth and they could then be aborted before ever coming into this world.

I am really not someone who thinks in this way-- but I have seen people like this cause so much harm.

Perhaps if the causes turn out to be more than just genetic (perhaps child abuse, ect) then there will be no simple solutions, but it says a lot about the world that we have such a high percentage of people that might qualify as 'evil' (at least in their behavior) running around.

[blahblah @ Apr 27th 2006 4:03PM]

Oh, and just think of the possibilities of putting such detectors on satellites! That way, they really couldn't hide. We could hunt them down like the fucking dogs they are!

[JAM @ Apr 27th 2006 4:25PM]

#8 - that sounds rather malicious of you *satellite beeps overhead*