BRAIN COMPUTER INTERFACE
The ability to interact directly with the human brain came about due to advances in cognitive neuroscience and brain imaging technologies. This is all made possible with the use of sensors that can monitor some of the physical processes which take place within the brain and correspond with certain forms of thought. Once such technology which have arisen due to these advances is the brain computer interface (BCI). This is also referred to as brainwave computing, thought controlled computing, mind controlled computing or thought interpreting computer software and programming, (Shah, 2014).
It functions as communication systems which do not depend on the normal outputs pathway of the brain which consists of peripheral nerves and muscles. However, the user manipulates their brain activities without using any form of motor movements to produce signals. These signals are used to control the computers or communication devices. The development of BCI was driven by a societal recognition to provide resources for needs of individuals with physical disabilities, (Tan & Nijholt, 2010). This technology bypasses any form of touch or voice where the programmes or computers are instructed by thoughts from the user.
There are two different categories of brain imaging technologies: invasive technologies where sensors are implanted directly on or in the brain and the non-invasive technologies which measure the activity of the brain using sensors. The invasive method provide a high temporal and spatial resolution, they only cover very small sections of the brain. This method requires a surgical procedure to be carried out, which could lead to medical complications as the body adapts to or does not adapt to the implants. Once...
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...ipatory planning while building awareness and providing information on the opportunities and challenges.
References
Shah, H. (2014, February 10). The New Security Threats in the Age of the Brain Computer Interface. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from http://futuristablog.com/new-security-threats-age-brain-computer-interface/
Tan, D., & Nijholt, A. (2010). Brain-Computer Interfaces and Human-Computer Interaction. doi:10.1007/978-1-84996-272-8_1,
TheWeekStaff. (2012, August 28). How future criminals could hack your brain and steal your PIN. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from http://theweek.com/article/index/232489/how-future-criminals-could-hack-your-brain-and-steal-your-pin
Velloso, G. T. (2012). Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) methodological proposal to assess the impacts of medical applications in 2022. Enterprise and Work Innovation Studies. Retrieved April 24, 2014
This Grand Challenge project is on reverse engineering the brain, and how the technology for human brain implants has developed thus far and how it will advance in the future. Reverse engineering the brain is one of fourteen Grand Challenges, which, if solved, will advance humanity. The ultimate goal of this challenge is to be able to fully simulate a human brain and understand how consciousness, thoughts, personality and free will function [Lipsman, Nir, Glannon, 2012]. As a result, computers will be enhanced, artificial intelligence will be unparalleled, and implants will aid damaged brains. Overall, reverse engineering the brain will provide massive advancements that will propel humanity into the next generation of technology.
The growing presence of technology is going to become more and more prevalent in the future as technology continues to evolve. If Carr is right, then we are going to see the continuous deterioration of critical thinking skills in future generations. However, we may also see a rise in more technological advances that will help society function better. Overall, this book was mainly concerned with the effects that new information and communication technologies will have on the brain.
Moreover, EEG provides a direct and real time measurement of neural activity. The temporal resolution is of the order of a few milliseconds, which allow rapid changes in cortical function to be followed. On the other hand the spatial resolution is relatively low (6, 7).
First, let us look at the electroencephalogram (EEG), which is based on recordings of electrical brain activity with millisecond temporal resolution and it provides “the most direct measure correlate of ongoing brain processing that can be obtained non-invasively (Johnsrude and Hauk, 2010, p. 28). The ba...
Historically, cognitive psychology was unified by an approach based on an resemblance between the mind and a computer, (Eysenck and Keane, 2010). Cognitive neuroscientists argue convincingly that we need to study the brain while people engage in cognitive tasks. Clearly, the internal processes involved in human cognition occur in the brain, and several sophisticated ways of studying the brain in action, including various imaging techniques, now exist, (Sternberg and Wagner, 1999, page 34).Neuroscience studies how the activity of the brain is correlated with cognitive operations, (Eysenck and Keane, 2010). On the other hand, cognitive neuropsychologists believe that we can draw general conclusions about the way in which the intact mind and brain work from mainly studying the behaviour of neurological patients rather than their physiology, (McCarthy and Warrington, 1990).
As the scientific field of Neuroscience develops and expands, so too does the discipline of Neuroethics. This new and emerging area of study aims to discuss the ethical applications of advancements in neuroscience. Over the past few decades, technological advancements in neuroscience have risen sharply. Every day, scientist’s understanding of the human mind increases exponentially. New technologies grant researchers the ability to make cognitive enhancements, carry out brain imaging and provide the human brain with a variety of different services. Neuroethics attempts to bridge the capabilities of science, with the social and ethical climate of today’s world. New advancements in what scientists can do, such as Brain Imaging, Cognitive enhancement, pharmacological enhancement of mood, and brain machine interfaces and non-pharmacological enhancement must be carefully examined to determine their proper and ethical usage.
Awan, N. R., Lozano, A. and Hamani, C. (2009), Deep brain stimulation: current and future perspectives, Neurosurgical Focus, Vol. 27, No. 1, p. 2.
The brain is the control center of the human body. It sends and receives millions of signals every second, day and night, in the form of hormones, nerve impulses, and chemical messengers. This exchange of information makes us move, eat, sleep, and think.
Cyber Technology is another area where AI will contribute in future. According to researcher Shimon Whiteson in future, we will be able to augment ourselves with computers and enhance many of our own natural abilities. Cyborg Intelligence aims to integrate AI with biological intelligence closely and deeply by connecting computer systems and biological systems via Brain-Machine-Interfaces (BMI’s), enhancing strengths and compensating for the weakness of both systems by combining the biological systems perceptive and cognitive abilities with the computer systems computational
Perry, Bruce, 1999. ECT Interview: Bruce Perry Discusses the Effects of Technology on the Brain.
In all the research and projects so far have been made with this method (Brain computer interface), all subject controlled by a person brain, an example of the research that has been done by Millan et al. [4] was on mobile robots has been controlled by a person brain. Or control the electrical wheelchair made a non-invasive method by thinking about it that the person was able to move between rooms [3].
Privacy threats are currently the biggest threat to National Security today. The threats are not only concerning to the government, however. An alarming 92% of Americans are concerned that the power grid may be vulnerable to a cyber-attack (Denholm). Although this is a more recent development to the cyber threats we have experienced, this is not the first time that privacy threats have stepped into the limelight as people are forced to watch their every online move.
Until recently, our relationship with technology has been limited to physical and direct command. To get a device to take action, you must touch it, or speak to it. All of this could change with this new technology called, brain-computer interfaces. This amazing technology will not only revamp military applications, but most importantly help the medical community substantially. It brings the possibility of sound to the deaf, sight to the blind and movement to the physically challenged. However, with all great ideas there is a downside, there are many technical and ethical issues that people are not willing to risk.
Throughout the course of history many people in time had no idea that many creatures of life had brains. With remarkable breakthroughs in technology and through human ability to take pictures of the human brain through head scans, scientists have discovered and mapped out the human brain. As neuroscientists understand how the brain works, discovery of brain-based learning has been a growing field ever since. Education is extremely important for human beings because the more educated we are as a society the better we contribute to society. Knowledge is extremely powerful and as a future educator, understanding how the brain works and developing lesson plans surrounding the inner workings of the brain will allow learning to manifest in the classroom.
Quantum computing is the first step into all technologies of the future. It involves using electric patterns in the brain to control electronics. A twenty-six-year-old quadriplegic has an implant the size of an aspirin sitting on the top of his brain that allows him to play simple video games, control a robotic arm, and even turn on and off a TV. By 2012 cyber kinetic chips could be able to process thoughts as fast as speech (Taylor). The transition eventually will be made from implants to headbands with unimaginable power. With this headband “Any kind of information is available anytime [a user wants]it, simply speak a question or even think it. [Once connected, a person]will always be connected wirelessly to the network, and an answer will return from a vast collectively-prodeuced data matrix. Google queries will seem quaint”(Kirkpatrick). With this breakthrough, the necessity to learn languages may disappear (Kirkpatrick). The biggest step is “network e...