A recent article from BBC : Electrodes have been implanted in the brain of Eric Ramsay, who has been "locked in" - conscious but paralysed - since a car crash eight years ago.
These have been recording pulses in areas of the brain involved in speech.
Now, New Scientist magazine reports, they are to use the signals he generates to drive speech software.
Although the data is still being analysed, researchers at Boston University believe they can correctly identify the sound Mr Ramsay's brain is imagining some 80% of the time.
In the next few weeks, a computer will start the task of translating his thoughts into sounds.
"We hope it will be a breakthrough," says Joe Wright of Neural Signals, which has helped develop the technology.
"Conversation is what we're hoping for, but we're pretty far from that."
Reading minds
Experts in the field of neuroscience agreed it was an exciting advance.
We are lot further away from a universal mind reading machine than some people hoped - or feared - we may be five years ago
John Dylan Haynes
Max Planck Institute
"It hasn't come completely out of the blue," said Professor Geraint Rees, a neuroscientist at University College London.
"We have been moving towards decoding primitive vocabulary for a while now. But this is certainly an interesting development, although invasive techniques, where something is out in someone's brain, such as these will of course carry risks."
Reading people's minds remains a far-off prospect, however.
"There is a huge difference between a technique like this, which is able to pick up signals the subject wants to be picked up, and being able to delve deep into the mind," says Professor John Dylan Haynes of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences.
"It's very exciting that we are starting to be able to translate some basic thoughts, but we are a lot further away from a universal mind reading machine than some people hoped - or feared - we may be five years ago."
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Amazing Paradoxes
Science sure have progressed a lot but there is a downside too. These are few of the paradoxes in science i came across while browsing the net. Wow, just think of the amazing possibilities its creating.
Grandfather paradox: Traveller going back in time and killing his own grandfather before his parent is conceived, thereby precluding his own travel to the past by canceling his own existence.
Predestination paradox: When a time traveller is caught in a loop of events that "predestines" him or her to travel back in time. Because of the possibility of influencing the past while time travelling, one way of explaining why history does not change is by saying that whatever has happened was meant to happen. A time traveller attempting to alter the past in this model, intentionally or not, would only be fulfilling his role in creating history as we know it, not changing it.
An ontological paradox, or ontolodox, is a paradox of time travel that questions the existence and creation of information and objects that travel in time.
eg. A professor travels forward in time, and reads in a physics journal about a new equation that was recently derived. He travels back to his own time, and relates it to one of his students who writes it up, and the article is published in the same journal which the professor reads in the future.
A floating cork paradox is a paradox to show that it is impossible to intentionally prevent an event from occuring using time travel.
Newcomb's Paradox, also referred to as Newcomb's Problem, is a thought experiment involving a game between two players, one of whom purports to be able to predict the future.
A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true.
Then comes the most famous - The chicken or the egg parodox. lol
Grandfather paradox: Traveller going back in time and killing his own grandfather before his parent is conceived, thereby precluding his own travel to the past by canceling his own existence.
Predestination paradox: When a time traveller is caught in a loop of events that "predestines" him or her to travel back in time. Because of the possibility of influencing the past while time travelling, one way of explaining why history does not change is by saying that whatever has happened was meant to happen. A time traveller attempting to alter the past in this model, intentionally or not, would only be fulfilling his role in creating history as we know it, not changing it.
An ontological paradox, or ontolodox, is a paradox of time travel that questions the existence and creation of information and objects that travel in time.
eg. A professor travels forward in time, and reads in a physics journal about a new equation that was recently derived. He travels back to his own time, and relates it to one of his students who writes it up, and the article is published in the same journal which the professor reads in the future.
A floating cork paradox is a paradox to show that it is impossible to intentionally prevent an event from occuring using time travel.
Newcomb's Paradox, also referred to as Newcomb's Problem, is a thought experiment involving a game between two players, one of whom purports to be able to predict the future.
A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true.
Then comes the most famous - The chicken or the egg parodox. lol
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Ambrose's deadly spell
Curtly Ambrose, the west indies cricketer of the nineties, nicnamed the Little Bird is by no means little which the aussies found out with a price in this video. Its one of my all time favourite achievements of Ambrose. Enjoy this great cricket video and do share it.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Time Travel, When and How?
Scientists consider time as another dimension like length, width and height. Following Einstein's revolutinary theory of relativity, Space and time are tangled together in a sort of a four-dimensional fabric called Space-Time. Any object with a mass in this universe causes a dimple in this Space-time fabric, which bends to accomodate this mass. This bending is what causes the objects to move in a curved path and this curvature of space the 'Gravity'. One can move backwards or forwards in the three spatial dimensions but not the case in time. One can only move forwards in time.
So why is it not possible to travel time at our own speed and direction?
It is possible to travel time, Theoritically atleast. The idea that excites me the most is this Black hole theory. Black holes are regions in space resulting from the collapse of a star. These are regions with extremly high gravitational field. These are considered as worm holes, a tunnel which links to a completely different space and time. It is also theoritically possible to create a worm hole. To create this hole in space-time, we would require high amount of energy which could be equal to that of sevaral giant stars. Though with the current knowledge and facilities its only possible to hypothesize regarding this, a time might come when mankind will have advanced this technology and at that time we can travel time just like we travel space.
So why is it not possible to travel time at our own speed and direction?
It is possible to travel time, Theoritically atleast. The idea that excites me the most is this Black hole theory. Black holes are regions in space resulting from the collapse of a star. These are regions with extremly high gravitational field. These are considered as worm holes, a tunnel which links to a completely different space and time. It is also theoritically possible to create a worm hole. To create this hole in space-time, we would require high amount of energy which could be equal to that of sevaral giant stars. Though with the current knowledge and facilities its only possible to hypothesize regarding this, a time might come when mankind will have advanced this technology and at that time we can travel time just like we travel space.
Some interesting facts
We used to say we will be there in a jiffy. Well, what is "JIFFY". Jiffy is 1/100th of a second.
Diamonds were first discovered in India 4 millenia ago.
Most simplest and the most common Element/Atom in the universe is Hydrogen.
Francium is the most rarest element.
PNEUMONOULTRAMICROSCOPICSILICOVOLCANOCONIOSIS or PNEUMONOULTRAMICROSCOPICSILICOVOLCANOKONIOSIS is the longest word in English dictionary. For more info on this disease, please click on Medicine in the side bar. Some consider this term as Medical term and dont consider as the longest word.
According to Guinness book, Floccinaucinihilipilification, meaning 'estimating something as worthless' is the longest word.
posted by B.K.N at 8:40 AM links to this post
New York Times printed Hercule Poirot's obituary on the front page in 1975. Hercule Poirot was a fictional detective created by Agatha Christie. He was the first fictional character to appear in New york times obituary.
Study of laughing and smiling is "GELOTOLOGY"
Hiccups is also called Singultus.
Vatican city is the only country which is completely surrounded by a city-Rome.
Sinophobia is fear of China and Chinese.
Diamonds were first discovered in India 4 millenia ago.
Most simplest and the most common Element/Atom in the universe is Hydrogen.
Francium is the most rarest element.
PNEUMONOULTRAMICROSCOPICSILICOVOLCANOCONIOSIS or PNEUMONOULTRAMICROSCOPICSILICOVOLCANOKONIOSIS is the longest word in English dictionary. For more info on this disease, please click on Medicine in the side bar. Some consider this term as Medical term and dont consider as the longest word.
According to Guinness book, Floccinaucinihilipilification, meaning 'estimating something as worthless' is the longest word.
posted by B.K.N at 8:40 AM links to this post
New York Times printed Hercule Poirot's obituary on the front page in 1975. Hercule Poirot was a fictional detective created by Agatha Christie. He was the first fictional character to appear in New york times obituary.
Study of laughing and smiling is "GELOTOLOGY"
Hiccups is also called Singultus.
Vatican city is the only country which is completely surrounded by a city-Rome.
Sinophobia is fear of China and Chinese.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Some nice words
eliminate the impossible, and whatever remains however improbable must be the truth
There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no chaos: there is harmony.
There is no death; there is the Force
Peace is a lie; there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.
Tell me what you regard as your greatest strength, so I will know best what to undermine you. Tell me of your greatest fear, so I will know what I must force you to face. Tell me what you cherish most, so I will know what to take from you. And tell me what you crave, so that I might deny you.
"Always two there are; no more, no less: a master and an apprentice." -Yoda
"Two there should be; no more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it." -Darth Bane
Dezhnev, Senior
1) He who is needed must learn to endure flattery.
2) If asking politely is useless, take.
3) A pawn is the most important piece on the chessboard - to a pawn.
4) Small can be beautiful: an eagle may at times go hungry; a pet canary, never.
5) Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It is the transition that is troublesome.
6) We are always certain that the decision we have just made is wrong.
7) No voyage is dangerous to the one who waves goodbye from the shore.
8) The greatest difficulty comes at the start. It's called 'getting ready'.
9) If the current flow is taking you where you want to go, don't argue.
10) If you want to know whether water is boiling, don't test it by hand.
11) Going there may be most of the fun- but only if you get there in the hand.
12) In life, unlike chess, the game continues after checkmate.
13) The wall that says 'Welcome, stranger' has never been built.
14) Those who say ' A penny for your thoughts' are usually being over-generous.
15) Good company robs even death of some of its terrors.
16) Once the sun sets, it grows dark; don't let that catch you by surprise.
17) If trouble were as easy to get out of, as into, life would be one sweet song.
18) The trouble with triumph is that you may be on the other side.
19) In the true triumph, however, there are no losers.
There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no chaos: there is harmony.
There is no death; there is the Force
Peace is a lie; there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.
Tell me what you regard as your greatest strength, so I will know best what to undermine you. Tell me of your greatest fear, so I will know what I must force you to face. Tell me what you cherish most, so I will know what to take from you. And tell me what you crave, so that I might deny you.
"Always two there are; no more, no less: a master and an apprentice." -Yoda
"Two there should be; no more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it." -Darth Bane
Dezhnev, Senior
1) He who is needed must learn to endure flattery.
2) If asking politely is useless, take.
3) A pawn is the most important piece on the chessboard - to a pawn.
4) Small can be beautiful: an eagle may at times go hungry; a pet canary, never.
5) Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It is the transition that is troublesome.
6) We are always certain that the decision we have just made is wrong.
7) No voyage is dangerous to the one who waves goodbye from the shore.
8) The greatest difficulty comes at the start. It's called 'getting ready'.
9) If the current flow is taking you where you want to go, don't argue.
10) If you want to know whether water is boiling, don't test it by hand.
11) Going there may be most of the fun- but only if you get there in the hand.
12) In life, unlike chess, the game continues after checkmate.
13) The wall that says 'Welcome, stranger' has never been built.
14) Those who say ' A penny for your thoughts' are usually being over-generous.
15) Good company robs even death of some of its terrors.
16) Once the sun sets, it grows dark; don't let that catch you by surprise.
17) If trouble were as easy to get out of, as into, life would be one sweet song.
18) The trouble with triumph is that you may be on the other side.
19) In the true triumph, however, there are no losers.
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