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Monday, December 10, 2007

It seems scientists can now tell from monitoring my neurons whether I'm seeing Halle Berry or Jenifer Anniston (or pictures of them, at least-they don't come around much in person anymore). Though the main idea was published in 2005, when responses generalized over more than pictures, new research suggests a more precise correlation can be found. Researcher Dr. Quian Quiroga explains.
For example, if the 'Jennifer Anniston neuron' increases its firing then we can predict that the subject is seeing Jennifer Aniston. If the 'Halle Berry neuron' fires, then we can predict that the subject is seeing Halle Berry, and so on. To do this, we used and optimised a 'decoding algorithms', which is a mathematical method to infer the stimulus from the neuronal firing. We also needed to optimise our recording and data processing tools to record simultaneously from as many neurons as possible. Currently we are able to record simultaneously from up to 100 neurons in the human brain.
They seem to be making progress on the subjects of my thoughts; how far away are they from discovering the predicates?

Researchers can read thoughts to decipher what a person is actually seeing | Science & Consciousness Review

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