Mind Reading

Scientists have shown that by looking at a person's brain waves it is possible to "read" their mind. According to www.webmd.com in the new study four healthy young men in England played a video game that challenged them to move their on-screen character from one spot to another as quickly as possible.  While they played , they got MRI brain scans that focused on a brain area called the hippocampus, the scientists used a modern scanner to measure blood flow. The volunteers were looking at a virtual reality environment and by reading their minds the scientists could accurately guess where they were located in the computer-generated environment. According to Eleanor Maguire of the Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging at University College London told reporters "In other words, we could 'read' their spatial memories." The discovery paves the way for new possibilities in mind reading but intrusive mind reading is still a long way off. The scientists believe rather that the new research will aid in illnesses such as Alzheimer's. The research also is paving the way for analyzing fuller memories of the past and visualizations of the future. Which means eventually the technology could be used in forensic examinations of a multitude of memories and thoughts. Researcher Demis Hassibis said it would be at least ten years before forensic applications became a possibility. "It's a long way off before that kind of technology is going to be possible where you can read someone's thoughts in a single short session, when they don't want to be cooperative," he said. The idea of mind reading has always been one seen in movies and a topic throughout history. Many people see the great opportunity in mind reading but there is also the fear of privacy and mind control. I see a great use for this technology as they spoke of in forensic uses, being able to read a  suspects mind to decipher truth from what the person is telling you and find out where the suspect had been and what they may have done. I also see a use in helping with Alzheimer's and possibly patients suffering from Amnesia to help them remember things they may have forgotten. The technology has a long way to go to reach that potential but I don't see why it cannot be achieved.

http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20090313/mind-reading-not-just-science-fiction

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29666474/