Human Computer / Computer Human

Last week I read two interesting articles that had to do with our brains. One involved using the mind to control a computer, and the other one had research showing that scientists could watch the brain to predict someone's intentions.

The one about a brain-computer interface was actually on a gaming website, and it spoke about using the mind to control your character in the game. Here's a link to the device's website, so you can see what it actually looks like. This is, an a word, awesome. Imagine the amount of control you could have in your games with something like this. How fast your thumb muscles move, or what combinations of buttons you push on a controller would no longer be an issue - it would be as fast as thought. You combine this with virtual reality and you're well on your way to Simulated Reality (thanks to Don for that link).

Is this a good or a bad thing? I suppose you could see it as the end of the world as we know it, but I like to look at the bright side of all things technological. Hey, there are people who think the the apocalypse would be brought on by legalizing marijuana, but I digress. Being able to control a machine solely with the mind would bring on amazing new advances in just about everything. Someone with an amputated leg would be able to control a prosthetic one with only their mind. A paralyzed person could be able to move again. Both of these have already been done, believe it or not, and it really boggles the mind. Eventually there will be no physical or mental disability holding someone back from doing anything that they want to do.

The other article is about something I spoke of in my first post - being able to predict what someone will do by watching their brain work. Where's the free will in that my friends? How many years before the technology is such that people will be able to predict what others can do in a major kind of way? Maybe it will never happen, but I'll tell you right now that science fact is quickly catching up with science fiction. What an exciting time we live in!