+ Mayo Clinic researchers show brain waves can ‘write’ on a computer in early tests
In the study, the two patients sat in front of a monitor that was hooked to a computer running the researchers’ software, which was designed to interpret electrical signals coming from the electrodes.
The patients were asked to look at the screen, which contained a 6-by-6 matrix with a single alphanumeric character inside each square. Every time the square with a certain letter flashed, and the patient focused on it, the computer recorded the brain’s response to the flashing letter. The patients were then asked to focus on specific letters, and the computer software recorded the information. The computer then calibrated the system with the individual patient’s specific brain wave, and when the patient then focused on a letter, the letter appeared on the screen.
“We were able to consistently predict the desired letters for our patients at or near 100 percent accuracy,” Dr. Shih says. “While this is comparable to other researchers’ results with EEGs, this approach is more localized and can potentially provide a faster communication rate. Our goal is to find a way to effectively and consistently use a patient’s brain waves to perform certain tasks.”
Once the technique is perfected, its use will require patients to have a craniotomy, although it isn’t yet known how many electrodes would have to be implanted. And software would have to calibrate each person’s brain waves to the action that is desired, such as movement of a prosthetic arm, Dr. Shih says. “These patients would have to use a computer to interpret their brain waves, but these devices are getting so small, there is a possibility that they could be implanted at some point,” he says.
(via eurekalert)
Soon The Singularity will be upon us. 2012 maybe?
+ Homunculus
Dani found this really bizarre animation short that starts out cute and cuddly but ends with lots of (cannibalistic) death.
The Hydra team assembled an entire still-life spread; fruits, cheeses, flowers, fish, and an uncooked pheasant. They then sealed it off in a 6×6 foot plexiglass box. 3 DSLrs, set at varying angles, were set to shoot a frame every 5 minutes for 11 days. Meanwhile, co-director Chris Mauch began to design a series of “little men,” some cute and cuddly, some not so much. In Maya, Chris and our team of volunteer animators and modelers began to build and rig the creatures.
Over the course of 4 months, in between jobs and on weekends, Sam, Chris, and the team pieced together the sometimes funny, sometimes disturbing madcap narrative –a mixture of Tex Avery cartoons and H.R. Giger inspired body horror.
True to its subject, and to the surprise of its producers, what was to be a small 30 second blip organically grew into an entire HD short film. With the completion of the 12-tone score by Koven Smith and the surround sound mix by Joe Muiccio, we’re pleased to premiere our furry little labor of love. Please enjoy…hopefully on an empty-ish stomach.
(via HumbleTv)
