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Technology & Innovation

Coming to a Store Near You: Computer-Brain Interface

While technology companies once focused on simple biological gestures to operate electronic products, today they are working to harness the power of the mind to alter physical realities.

What’s the Latest Development?


While technology companies once focused on simple biological gestures to operate electronic productsa wink, for example, may tell your Internet-connected glasses to snap a picture—today they are working to harness the power of the mind to alter physical realities. “In a couple of years, we could be turning on the lights at home just by thinking about it, or sending an e-mail from our smartphone without even pulling the device from our pocket. Farther into the future, your robot assistant will appear by your side with a glass of lemonade simply because it knows you are thirsty.”

What’s the Big Idea?

As technology continues to progress, new challenges will confront researchers. How will brain-reading devices, for example, distinguish between an intention to search the Internet for something and a random thought about that something? “Just because I’m thinking about a steak medium-rare at a restaurant doesn’t mean I actually want that for dinner,” said Dr. John Donoghue, a neuroscientist and director of the Brown Institute for Brain Science. “To be truly useful, brain-computer interfaces will need to know if you’re just thinking about that steak or really want to order it.”

Photo credit: Shutterstock.com

Read it at the New York Times


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