Comments on: Harnessing The Power Of The Brain

Scott Pelley Reports How Brain Computer Interface May Help The Paralyzed In The Future

[tazmisha]

This article is very encouraging, I''d like to know how to get my husband involved in a clynical trail. My husband has a TBI, he was involved in a car accident in May of 2007. He communicates with me via his eyes and I believe he would be able to communicate with others via the BCI.

If you have information that will help me further explore this avenue, please contact me at [e-mail]

[thoughtful8]

Wow. I wonder what it would be like for someone who is not paralized. I mean, could it learn from someone while they are typing to pick up on the brain impulse that is precurser to the actual movement of the fingers so that the typing is performed at the speed of someone to think the letters? Could you have your own personal thinking cap pre-programed to function prior to a debilitating desease? The human mind has a pretty amazing capacity to operate machinery. Wow, I can see hands free driving and things like that as the norm in the future. It''s not mind reading, it''s the mind using the shortcut of faster control of available tools through practice. This is great. I better get me a lifetime membership at the gym right away because their prices will sky rocket as less body movement occurs and more people need to go work off their fat. (WARNING, THE HAT is not recommended for individuals suffering from foot and mouth disease.)

[allen696]

Im so excited about seeing this program. I work with students who have cerbral palsey,autism,mental retardation,etc. If they could some how be wired to a computer just think of the possibilites they could possess. My student who I work one on one with in a public school use to have a Dino Box, a big machine that she could use by hitting the button for the words for what she had to say, it was a time consuming effort and she didn''t always hit the right word she wanted. With this new BCI I can see her having conversations with people, answering questions in class, and being part of her education experience as an active learner and not a passive one. If any one has any more information about this new technology please send to [e-mail], my students mother would love to more information about this technology and how it would help her child.

[bzallison]

It is great to see this positive publicity for our research field in the mainstream media. I have been a BCI researcher for over 10 years and hope to correct a common misunderstanding.

In the interview, Dr. Jon Wolpaw said that BCIs are not mindreading tools. This is correct. Many people assume that BCIs operate by literally interpreting your thoughts. If you think of an apple, an apple appears on the screen. BCIs do not work that way. Nobody has even developed a BCI that can tell whether you are thinking "yes" or "no." Instead, people produce detectable brain patterns by performing voluntary tasks like imagining movements or noticing certain flashes. The latter approach was the type shown in the 60 Minutes clip with flashing letters. I worked with Theresa Vaughan in Jon''s lab on an earlier version of this system, called a P300 BCI, with other patients and healthy volunteers. It is remarkable how far the field has progressed.

Brendan Allison, PhD
University of Bremen

[walt1944-2009]

Every time I hear a story about human brains being hooked up to computers, I get an uneasy feeling.

I am reminded of those old 1950''s scifi classics, Donovan''s Brain, where a crimnal''s brain is kept alive and takes over the minds of others, and Forbidden Planet, where an alien race wipes itself out by hooking their minds up to a machine that unleashes both their conscious AND unconscious fears, desires, and HATRED!

There are some things that God meant for us not to fool around with and to me, the human mind is one of them. It maybe a blessing to people who are paralzed or otherwise infirm, but I would hate to see Micheal Savage''s or Bill O''Reilly''s brain hooked up to a machine that could turn thought into reality!!!!

Their hatred would leave the planet a burntout cinder!!!

SIG HEIL, NO WORRIES ABOUT ME; MY HEAD IS EMPTY!!!, BUSH!!!
sig heil, THEY BETTER NOT HOOK ME UP TO ANYTHING LIKE THAT!!!, McBush!!!
sig heil, I FORGOT TO DISCUSS PARISIAN FASHIONS WITH SARKOZY!!!, Palin!!!

[geribuehre]

I failed to leave my email address (during my 9:31, November 2, 2008 comment) so that I could be contacted as requested: [e-mail]
Thank you.

[edupalher]

I love 60 minutes ! Thank you for such a good program, I wanted to know if this Harnessing might be able to help people suffering of schinophernia or other mental ilness, or find the defiece in the brain thata is afected. Sinserely Eduardo Palacio

[suktnutz]

Thank You 60 Minutes for thi story it shows what modern science can di. I want to thank Scott, Denise and the crew for doing the segment.My Mother Cathy just wants to help people with this disorder.Thank You again and if any one wants to contact Cathy her E-mail is [e-mail] Thank You Mass General Hospital the team at Brown and thank you CBS.....Brian Hutchinson Cathy''s son

[truthislife1]

I sure am glad evolution is true and there is no intelligent design with this technology.

[gottadownload]

Amazing technology. How long until we get here:

http://www.squidoo.com/NeuralReality

Is this the beginning of the transhuman age?

[juwboy]

renee_blake said:

"Was the [monkey`s] arm cut off for the `good of science?`"

The report says clearly that the monkey`s arms were RESTRAINED.

renee_blake, why didn`t you take the time to read the report dispassionately, without any preconceived ideas, instead of wasting ours with your ignorant opinions?

[mtmaidj]

7 years ago, I work with ADH children on a similar brain/computer hookup. With just their thoughts, they were able to increase their time of focused attention, impulsivity, distractability. The kids wore helmets with electrodes in them and sat in front of a computer screen - focusing. It was truly amazing how much improvement each 20 minute session yielded.

[icwtus]

I happened to catch this report tonight on CBS. This is surely interesting stuff and the technology (if we can keep it from being abused) could be quite useful to amputees or perhaps even our veterans who have lost limbs. I do wonder about the part where the host mentioned the possibility of this being used to read thoughts, and the person being interviewed (one of the doctors) said that wasn''t possible because this can only be done with the consent of the patient. Is that only because the patient would have to put the probes on? What stops someone (i.e. the police) from forcing someone to wear the sensor?

This technology really has the potential to be used to invade privacy at levels never before thought possible. I am glad they have not managed to decipher the brain yet. That means that for now, we are safe from this kind of stuff. They can listen, but they wont understand anything. For now.

[rosecriv]

Regarding the brainpower segment..have they done trials with teens with cerebral palsy?? I have a very bright 15 year old son who is nonverbal and in a wheelchair. This would be...well, I can''t find the words, but I believe my son would, given the chance.
Please.

Rose Crivolio
[e-mail]

[hutchoo0]

I%u2019ve been talking about this for 20+ years, except my vision had the plug at the brain stem, back of your neck. Of course I liked The Matrix except for the fact that Neo was in a chair laying down as if he was at the dentist. The Brain Computer Interface I envisioned though was for realizing the music that was playing in my head. The Singularity Is Near and this device, though dedicated to neuro-muscular apps, will play a big role at achieving A.I. This path needs a neuroscientist with a big grant to study apps with FMRIs - Functional Magnetic Resonance Imagers and other such gear.
Two serendipitous realities in this piece: Cathy Hutchinson (my surname) and comment two about patients with MS. My wife and I are both stricken with MS.

[keven13]

I just watched Scott Pelley''s piece on 60 minutes on brain power.
I am Keven Lee Hulings and I have had ALS for 17 years. At present I use a DynaVox communication device which is also a laptop computer, I am using my chin to type this request.
I am interested in contacting Mr. Mackler about "Brain Power", I feel as though I am a perfect candidate for a research guinea-pig.
I''m not sure of your procedures of giving out email addresses so I will give you mine to pass on to Mr. Mackler about my request for clinical studies in the thought control field.
[e-mail]
Thank you for your time!

[keven13]

I just watched Scott Pelley''s piece on 60 minutes on brain power.
I am Keven Lee Hulings and I have had ALS for 17 years. At present I use a DynaVox communication device which is also a laptop computer, I am using my chin to type this request.
I am interested in contacting Mr. Mackler about "Brain Power", I feel as though I am a perfect candidate for a research guinea-pig.
I''m not sure of your procedures of giving out email addresses so I will give you mine to pass on to Mr. Mackler about my request for clinical studies in the thought control field.
[e-mail]
Thank you for your time!

[ws44]

To those who are critical of research with animals:
(a) Get your priorities straight.
(b) Control your inflammatory language.
(c) emmajupiter1, please get an education before you make baseless, uninformed accusations about highly ethical and sensitive people doing incredibly difficult work that ultimately benefits ALL living creatures.
(d) Most researchers have the same pets and sensitivities to animals as do most other people - be assured that they would not use animals if there were a better alternative.

[renee_blake]

You never explained what happened to the monkey%u2019s right arm, that he or she was forced to learn to use an appendage that wasn%u2019t his/her own. What was done? Was the arm cut off for the %u201Cgood of science?%u201D

How many animals sacrificed their freedom, their joy of living, their lives for this invention?

If people and their families wish to be screwed into a computer system from their brains as that woman who suffered a stroke, it is their choice and I support that choice wholeheartedly and am glad for them to have some sense of their own independence returned to them.

But the animals have no choice. They are simply used and thrown away like machines. They are intelligent, they have feelings, souls and your segment expressed support for their enslavement, by not showing a more complete story to your viewers. This is unconscionable.

Your failure to include their voices and their sacrifices, is an indication that %u201C60 Minutes%u201D has some growing up to do before it can add ethical journalism to the many things for which it congratulates itself.

[renee_blake]

You never explained what happened to the monkey%u2019s right arm, that he or she was forced to learn to use an appendage that wasn%u2019t his/her own. What was done? Was the arm cut off for the %u201Cgood of science?%u201D

How many animals sacrificed their freedom, their joy of living, their lives for this invention?

If people and their families wish to be screwed into a computer system from their brains as that woman who suffered a stroke, it is their choice and I support that choice wholeheartedly and am glad for them to have some sense of their own independence returned to them.

But the animals have no choice. They are simply used and thrown away like machines. They are intelligent, they have feelings, souls and your segment expressed support for their enslavement, by not showing a more complete story to your viewers. This is unconscionable.

Your failure to include their voices and their sacrifices, is an indication that %u201C60 Minutes%u201D has some growing up to do before it can add ethical journalism to the many things for which it congratulates itself.