Mind Reading Machine

[Prince Glittersnatch III]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/mar/06/medicalresearch

Scientists have developed a computerised mind-reading technique which lets them accurately predict the images that people are looking at by using scanners to study brain activity.

The breakthrough by American scientists took MRI scanning equipment normally used in hospital diagnosis to observe patterns of brain activity when a subject examined a range of black and white photographs. Then a computer was able to correctly predict in nine out of 10 cases which image people were focused on. Guesswork would have been accurate only eight times in every 1,000 attempts.

The study raises the possibility in the future of the technology being harnessed to visualise scenes from a person's dreams or memory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsjDnYxJ0bo&feature=player_embedded
^
Video of the machine in action.

I for one trust our leaders to use this technology in a humane and ethical manner.

[Jasper]

Call me unethical, but this is something I've wanted since I was a kid, and this is so cool that I don't particularly care about potential abuses right now.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Isn't this super-old? The Japanese are working on one that'll let you see video of people's dreams, or something.

[Prelate Diogenes Shandor]

This must never be allowed to fall into the hands of the government!

[Pæs]

This must never be allowed to fall into the hands of the government!

OH? WHYEVER NOT?

[Nephew Twiddleton]

This must never be allowed to fall into the hands of the government!

Which government? There's about 200 of them, yeah?

[Rumckle]

They can also use it to tell if you are a paedophile (maybe):

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/10/05/can-brain-scans-detect-pedophiles/

A new study suggests that watching brain activity when subjects are shown images of naked children can identify which are pedophiles. But what does this really mean in practical terms?

[Elder Iptuous]

Isn't this super-old? The Japanese are working on one that'll let you see video of people's dreams, or something.

Ya.  they have demonstrated the ability to image, directly from the brain, with enough sensitivity that letters can be discerned from the output.  seeing dreams is a ways off, but it's impressive that they can get this from, iirc, EEGs....

the way this one images by mashing together screens from millions of youtubes to match their scans is interesting, but...... odd.

They can also use it to tell if you are a paedophile (maybe):
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/10/05/can-brain-scans-detect-pedophiles/

A new study suggests that watching brain activity when subjects are shown images of naked children can identify which are pedophiles. But what does this really mean in practical terms?

Ohh.... that's kinda creepy.
I think they are overly optimistic...

Realistically, we can't judge people on their biological red flags—whether it's brain scans or genetics—without entering a Minority Report-style future. That's because being attracted to children isn't a crime. Acting on it is.
...
it's unlikely that you'll be seeing regular scanning for pedophilic tendencies anytime soon.

people don't make decisions based on rationality when it comes to hotbuttons like this....
I think a large percentage of the population would see this headline, and then, even after reading the significant caveats, think "pedos have this brainscan :. this brainscan indicates a pedo.  let's organize the hunt immediately!"

also, not mentioned in the article, i am curious whether the "self described pedos" are in incarceration because they have admitted to committing pedophilia, or whether they are defining it as someone who simply feels a sexual attraction to children...

[Prelate Diogenes Shandor]

This must never be allowed to fall into the hands of the government!

Which government? There's about 200 of them, yeah?

ANY government!

[Prelate Diogenes Shandor]

Isn't this super-old? The Japanese are working on one that'll let you see video of people's dreams, or something.

Ya.  they have demonstrated the ability to image, directly from the brain, with enough sensitivity that letters can be discerned from the output.  seeing dreams is a ways off, but it's impressive that they can get this from, iirc, EEGs....

the way this one images by mashing together screens from millions of youtubes to match their scans is interesting, but...... odd.

They can also use it to tell if you are a paedophile (maybe):
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/10/05/can-brain-scans-detect-pedophiles/

A new study suggests that watching brain activity when subjects are shown images of naked children can identify which are pedophiles. But what does this really mean in practical terms?

Ohh.... that's kinda creepy.
I think they are overly optimistic...

Realistically, we can't judge people on their biological red flags—whether it's brain scans or genetics—without entering a Minority Report-style future. That's because being attracted to children isn't a crime. Acting on it is.
...
it's unlikely that you'll be seeing regular scanning for pedophilic tendencies anytime soon.

people don't make decisions based on rationality when it comes to hotbuttons like this....
I think a large percentage of the population would see this headline, and then, even after reading the significant caveats, think "pedos have this brainscan :. this brainscan indicates a pedo.  let's organize the hunt immediately!"

also, not mentioned in the article, i am curious whether the "self described pedos" are in incarceration because they have admitted to committing pedophilia, or whether they are defining it as someone who simply feels a sexual attraction to children...

This kind of thing is why technologies like this shouldn't be allowed in the hands of soverign governing bodies. It leads to the potential for enforcable ThoughtCrime laws.

[Cainad (dec.)]

This must never be allowed to fall into the hands of the government!

99.9999999% probability that it is too late for that.