Scientists extract images directly from brain (2008) • Hacker News Board

Re: Scientists extract images directly from brain (2008)

#31

Post by joe_the_user » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 3:22 AM UTC

sho wrote: post #11

Salvatore wrote: post #8

On one hand, this is great. It will lead to new technology which will inevitably lead to better video games. On the other hand, this provides the opportunity for total loss of privacy. Forget freedom of speech, people might start to attack the freedom to think certain thoughts. In other news, China and Iran are thrilled at this new science.

"In other news, China and Iran are thrilled at this new science." Why? Are they having problems with people imagining politically undesirable images? I would think the West, with its insane war to protect the cartoon children, would have more use for such technology.

I wouldn't claim the West lacks political repression but it seems obvious that any repressive states would love have such technology. Your argument seems to discount this.

Re: Scientists extract images directly from brain (2008)

#32

Post by philwelch » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 4:21 AM UTC

randallsquared wrote: post #29

mingdingo wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The first thing I thought when I saw this was: "Oh shit- now nothing is private." Don't get me wrong- it's amazing stuff, and I'm all for the advancements it can bring. But the mind really is the last bastion of privacy in our increasingly policed world. Think about it: 1) When you make a call, it can be logged and recorded. 2) When you walk into a bank (or a million other locations), your actions are on camera. 3) W…

Try not thinking about something, and you'll find you can't do it. People say this, but I find it's not true. Just think of something else . Works most of the time.

I just lost the game.

Re: Scientists extract images directly from brain (2008)

#33

Post by philwelch » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 4:27 AM UTC

dinkumthinkum wrote: post #5

This should be like front page news. This is something many would have not thought possible. It also poses many problems non-materialists that do not subscribe to a weird hand-wavy coincidentalism.

I don't see how this should pose problems to non-materialists. There's no reason the image can't be formed in the brain before or during transmission to the immaterial mind, for instance.

I'm not a dualist by any stretch but to claim this as evidence for materialism is mistaken.

Re: Scientists extract images directly from brain (2008)

#34

Post by dasil003 » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 6:02 AM UTC

randallsquared wrote: post #29

mingdingo wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The first thing I thought when I saw this was: "Oh shit- now nothing is private." Don't get me wrong- it's amazing stuff, and I'm all for the advancements it can bring. But the mind really is the last bastion of privacy in our increasingly policed world. Think about it: 1) When you make a call, it can be logged and recorded. 2) When you walk into a bank (or a million other locations), your actions are on camera. 3) W…

Try not thinking about something, and you'll find you can't do it. People say this, but I find it's not true. Just think of something else . Works most of the time.

It works until they can read the subconscious and can detect the thought you're trying not to think.

Re: Scientists extract images directly from brain (2008)

#35

Post by dasil003 » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 6:10 AM UTC

mingdingo wrote: post #22

Salvatore wrote: post #8

On one hand, this is great. It will lead to new technology which will inevitably lead to better video games. On the other hand, this provides the opportunity for total loss of privacy. Forget freedom of speech, people might start to attack the freedom to think certain thoughts. In other news, China and Iran are thrilled at this new science.

The first thing I thought when I saw this was: "Oh shit- now nothing is private." Don't get me wrong- it's amazing stuff, and I'm all for the advancements it can bring. But the mind really is the last bastion of privacy in our increasingly policed world. Think about it: 1) When you make a call, it can be logged and recorded. 2) When you walk into a bank (or a million other locations), your actions are on camera. 3) W…

Granted the advancement of technology has brought FAR more benefits than costs

So far.

I don't think we've given it enough of a trial run. Global warming and overpopulation are two results of technological advancement that could potentially outweigh all the benefits of progress if they get bad enough.

Re: Scientists extract images directly from brain (2008)

#36

Post by dkokelley » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 7:15 AM UTC

dejb wrote: post #19

Salvatore wrote: post #8

On one hand, this is great. It will lead to new technology which will inevitably lead to better video games. On the other hand, this provides the opportunity for total loss of privacy. Forget freedom of speech, people might start to attack the freedom to think certain thoughts. In other news, China and Iran are thrilled at this new science.

In the long term technology like this will end privacy for those who want to participate in the modern economy. But you shouldn't assume it will happen in a 'top down' way that will benefit totalitarian governments. Totalitarian governments require secrecy to do their evil deeds. Look at the spread of mobile cameras (mostly in phones). These have allowed many an injustice to be exposed. The police no longer feel like…

I think that our exposed thoughts would fall under freedom of speech in America. That, and the 5th amendment ("...nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself...").

Re: Scientists extract images directly from brain (2008)

#37

Post by Arun2009 » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 8:08 AM UTC

Questions:

- Will the fMRI patterns for the same image be the same for two different people?

- When I think of images, the vision I have in my mind are not as vivid as when I see them directly. Given this, will the fMRI patterns be the same in both cases?

Re: Scientists extract images directly from brain (2008)

#38

Post by onreact-com » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 9:33 AM UTC

Hooray! So now I can download the porn images I saw elsewhere back to my laptop directly from my brain! This way you get all the porn mags for free!

Re: Scientists extract images directly from brain (2008)

#39

Post by dan_the_welder » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 12:13 PM UTC

mixmax wrote: post #6

Seems like it's a neural network trying to decipher the inner workings of another neural network. How amazingly cool is that ?

Recursively cool.

Re: Scientists extract images directly from brain (2008)

#40

Post by dan_the_welder » Wed, Jul 08, 2009, 12:17 PM UTC

mingdingo wrote: post #22

Salvatore wrote: post #8

On one hand, this is great. It will lead to new technology which will inevitably lead to better video games. On the other hand, this provides the opportunity for total loss of privacy. Forget freedom of speech, people might start to attack the freedom to think certain thoughts. In other news, China and Iran are thrilled at this new science.

The first thing I thought when I saw this was: "Oh shit- now nothing is private." Don't get me wrong- it's amazing stuff, and I'm all for the advancements it can bring. But the mind really is the last bastion of privacy in our increasingly policed world. Think about it: 1) When you make a call, it can be logged and recorded. 2) When you walk into a bank (or a million other locations), your actions are on camera. 3) W…

We're all doomed to carry around thousands of pounds of 3G connected MRI.