IUBio

Is it possible to read someone's mind?

John Leonard remove_for_spam_johnrleonard at excite.com
Sun May 6 20:26:14 EST 2001


But the brain is just a collection of neurons that transmit signals
electrically. With sufficient observation, shouldn't it be possible to
understand what is being transmitted? For instance, if one were to compare
the incoming aural signal from the eardrum to the brain with the efferent
signal(s) emerging from the body of neurons that process and deliver this
signal wouldn't it be possible to understand the encoding method used by the
brain? In other words, why would it be so difficult to intercept the signal
emerging from this aural complex, decode it and reconstruct the aural signal
that originally entered the ear?

John Leonard


"Richard Norman" <rsnorman at mediaone.net> wrote in message
news:UIcJ6.40146$qD1.735995 at typhoon.mw.mediaone.net...
> If "reading someone's mind" means I am in the process of
> (or planning on) making this muscle move by this much,
> then yes.  Essentially you read the motor signals and
> create artificial "muscles" execute the command.  So I can
> shrug my shoulder or wink my eye to control external
> equipment (it actually is more subtle than that.)
>
> But if you want to know just why I feel like winking my eye
> or whether I am happy or angry about the fact that I have
> to shrug my shoulder -- that is rather a different story.  And
> all the while, I am daydreaming about what is going to happen
> to me and whether I really remembered to turn off the coffee
> maker and it suddenly occurred to me that I forgot to pay the
> electric bill and I really am worried about how my career is
> going, not to mention how my teenage kids are developing
> --- no, probably never.
>
> ""Ron Blue"" <rcb5 at msn.com> wrote in message
> news:002601c0d5e4$ea10c040$2e1d183f at pavilion...
> > The Air Force has a procedure that allows pilots to control their
aircraft
> > by thoughts and it is 98% accurate.  This is close to what you are
asking.
> >
> > Ron
> > http://turn.to/ai
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "John Leonard" <remove_for_spam_johnrleonard at excite.com>
> > To: <neur-sci at hgmp.mrc.ac.uk>
> > Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2001 7:51 PM
> > Subject: Is it possible to read someone's mind?
> >
> >
> > > Given the current state of the science, is it possible to attach
> > electrodes
> > > to someones brain and read their thoughts? If it is not, then, what is
> > your
> > > projection for the time at which it will be possible?
> > >
> > >
> >
> > ---
>
>





More information about the Neur-sci mailing list

Send comments to us at biosci-help [At] net.bio.net