Brain implant, software enables patients to think out loud

Truth be told, we've already seen instances where technology has enabled individuals to speak without speaking, but a brain implant placed into Eric Ramsey's head could certainly raise the bar in this field. The wireless electrode, which resides just six-millimeters below the surface of his brain, records pulses from 41 surrounding neurons involved in speech generation, and thanks to software developed by the associated team, those thoughts will hopefully be translated into words in the not-too-distant future. Currently, the group feels that they can accurately identify the word Ramsey is thinking up 80-percent of the time, and in the coming weeks, a computer will begin giving the patient real-time feedback so he can perfect the art of thinking out loud. 'Course, the team responsible isn't likely to be satisfied until an unadulterated conversation can take place, but it seems we're well on our way to seeing that come to fruition.

[Via BBC]

[zabador @ Nov 15th 2007 9:56AM]

That could be really bad though, what if he's like 18 years old.... the average thought of an 18 year old male shouldnt be thought aloud at the best of times...

[Shane @ Nov 15th 2007 10:34AM]

You certainly don't need this technology to predict what the average teenage male is thinking...

"Look! Boobies! Heh heh heh..."

[blade417 @ Nov 15th 2007 1:19PM]

or the occasional 23yr old male...

I might say: "Oh, hi there Janet, how bout those steelers?"

I'll be thinking: "Why didn't you come to work naked?"

...

I'd rather not have my thoughts audible. I'll just grab a portable chalkboard.

[a ham sandwich @ Nov 15th 2007 10:03AM]

yeah thats very cool.

"i love you jack"
'well i would love you if you looked a little better'
"WHAT!!!??!?!"

:P

[Chris @ Nov 15th 2007 10:14AM]

The implications of this is incredible. Once this is perfected, the applications for this are astounding.

[Phillip @ Nov 15th 2007 12:53PM]

And frightening at the same time.

[Phil @ Nov 15th 2007 10:07AM]

Think of the implications for interrogation and law enforcement.

One step closer to Asimov's imagined Psychic Probe.

[wireless.nemo @ Nov 15th 2007 10:17AM]

Are you kidding? Liberals wouldn't allow that.

That's a violation of privacy. Not to mention human rights. It's also TORTURE. /sarcasm.

[Justin @ Nov 15th 2007 10:51AM]

You're damn right we wouldn't allow that, and we're not the only ones. With everything else pretty much up for grabs whenever someone in a position of authority says they need it, our thoughts are basically the only thing we have left to ourselves. Let's keep it that way, huh?

[JAmerican @ Nov 15th 2007 10:10AM]

Here come the thought crimes!

[JAmerican @ Nov 15th 2007 10:11AM]

Now all we need to do is use it on our government so we really know what their thinking!

[Rususeruru @ Nov 15th 2007 11:25AM]

Or at least what certain attorney generals really 'recall'

[phil @ Nov 15th 2007 10:42AM]

This is really a great innovation.
Now if they can just come up with one the "stops" people from thinking out loud.

[HektikLyfe @ Nov 15th 2007 4:07PM]

Hilarious!...oh wait...damn!

(I figured people needed some help catching this one and I didn't want it to be missed since it is so funny.)

[sherryfriedrichs @ Dec 24th 2007 10:23PM]

HA HA Was thinking the same thing as I read the posts

[EdZ @ Nov 15th 2007 10:45AM]

The beginnings of Cybercomms. Link this to a remote cochlear implant, and you have telepathy.

[BestSnowman @ Nov 15th 2007 11:28AM]

I think people commenting so far have missed the point... People who couldn't otherwise talk could potentially talk, thats pretty big.

[DorianGray @ Nov 15th 2007 12:44PM]

Think you may be missing part of the point.

People who may not *want* to talk may soon be *forced* to "talk". That's pretty big.

[StrangeBum @ Nov 15th 2007 10:49AM]

The first thing that popped into my mind (no pun intended) is Ghost in the Shell and the way they communicate through thought-speech.

But this seems to be amazing, think of the possibilities for those that are autistic where they are capable of thinking about things but don't know how to form the words around it. And then, what if they are able to take this even a step further and utilize the same sorts of technologies to be able to not only translate brain thought into words but also into visuals.

Not only would someone be able to have their thoughts come across in a way that is clear in their mind, but also visually. I'm probably stretching it.....

Back to my original idea. Ghost in the Shell thought-speech, badass!

[huh @ Nov 15th 2007 11:20AM]

I think you hit the nail on the head. Why bother with words and language, which are designed for speaking and writing, when you can skip to some computer mediated reality. Of course when the network crashes we'll be back to the cave man days, but it'd be in interesting in the meantime.

[darkstar @ Nov 15th 2007 11:09AM]

install bluetooth and decoder and we dont even have to communicate using speech. awesome!

[JLynx @ Nov 15th 2007 10:55AM]

Ramsey's the beeesssssst... but he does not dance at the party.

[NHAnimator @ Nov 15th 2007 10:58AM]

What they really need this for is those patients for whom the anesthesia has not kicked in properly and they are immobilized, but feel the pain of the operation and can not do a thing about it.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Nov 15th 2007 11:02AM]

If this ever becomes 99.9% accurate, we could see this possibly implemented augment of other confessional methods for the war on terror.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Nov 15th 2007 11:03AM]

Correction:

"possibly implemented augment of other" and what I meant was "possibly implemented to augment other"

[Jason @ Nov 15th 2007 11:03AM]

I for one want to increase my sensory bandwidth:

bring on the sub-vocal text editors!

[dreampc @ Nov 15th 2007 11:04AM]

Now everybody can enjoy the same benefits as those with Tourettes!

[Revels @ Nov 15th 2007 11:13AM]

Thank god I'll be dead by the time the bastards use this against us.

[deedeedee @ Nov 15th 2007 11:17AM]

I'm always amazed how scientists can so easily tab into ones brain with limited understanding of our brain and related technology. I was not expecting Ghost in the Shell so soon...might be able to see it in my life-time! sweeeet

Never took bio, so some one explain to me this simple question, if they stuff a piece of metal in your brain, wouldn't that do some damage to the neurons around it?

[Deuz Augustine @ Nov 15th 2007 11:27AM]

The implications of this are both impressive and terrifying. :|

[spammerblackhole-engadget @ Nov 15th 2007 12:07PM]

Ok, so how do they verify the accuracy given that the guy is paralized?

Let me guess: they detected that the man was thinking "these" "researchers" "are" "really" "intelligent".

With a 20% error rate, that means one of those words is wrong...

[brady @ Nov 15th 2007 12:08PM]

You all seem to have misunderstood. The machine does not speak every thought, it speaks the words you try to say but can't because of paralysis or other malady. So you can think anything you want, and it doesn't say anything until you actually try to push the words out of your mouth. Get it now?

[SFO Kevin @ Nov 15th 2007 12:47PM]

A bluetooth version would be great!... Then we don't have to listen to all those stupid cellphone conversations on the train, plane & returant

[tealfixie @ Nov 15th 2007 1:07PM]

quick! turn off the implant!

[Kizul Emeraldfire @ Nov 15th 2007 1:24PM]

What I'D like to know is, would this use a synthesized voice, or would it digitize what you were saying EXACTLY the WAY you said it — pitch, inflection, accent, and whether the voice in your head was male or female.

'Cause, if SO — this would be awesome for making voiceovers/voice dubs with. :D

Plus, everything always sounds more on-key when you sing it in your head… this would be perfect for anyone who wanted to sing, but didn't have their vocal cords trained right. :)

[Jeff @ Nov 15th 2007 1:36PM]

Hes a Sense-Offendor!!! GET HIIIM!

[James @ Nov 15th 2007 1:34PM]

i wanna listen to what my dog is trying to tell me

[ethana2 @ Nov 15th 2007 1:59PM]

The hardware sounds cool... but you better believe I'm not going to be using their software with it until I've seen the freely available source code for it. If it doesn't have it, the open source brain hacking community will have to make their own. And it will integrate with Katapult and Festival very nicely.

[engadget @ Nov 15th 2007 3:05PM]

Get this implanted in Hawkings please.

[pjg @ Nov 15th 2007 3:17PM]

People who don't want to talk hire defense lawyers! And guess what? They don't have to say a word.

[macona @ Nov 15th 2007 3:40PM]

Now if there was a mute for people who talk too much already.

Since a medical procedure is required to insert the probe and one cannot have a medical procedure performed on them against their will it nothing to worry about. (At least in the US)

If they want to get info out of you there are much more creative ways to get it out of you... Like making you listen to Babara Streisand 24hrs a day...

[HektikLyfe @ Nov 15th 2007 4:11PM]

The deciphering is the difficult part I imagine. Remote "readings" won't be a huge leap from that.

Besides, you would have to concentrate on the words to send a clear message wouldn't you?

Who thinks like this?

I.am.going.to.kill.that.pretty.girl.and.rub.the.lotion.on.the.skin.

By the time the guy is done thinking it the girl gets away. (Is it sexist of me to immediately make the female the victim here? Didn't.mean.to.do.that.)

[sherryfriedrichs @ Dec 24th 2007 10:28PM]

Decades ago I said I wanted a chip in my brain so I could directly download my thoughts into a computer...not that I wanted everything I was thinking said outloud. But think how great it would be if instead of typing what you were thinking about for a paper or your blog etc would just show up in a doc on your computer, especially if it'd file random thoughts for easy access. I would be so much more efficient! and no typos...