Posted on 10/13/2008 11:54:08 PM PDT by MarcoPolo
Oct. 13, 2008 -- Vocal cords were overrated anyway. A new Army grant aims to create email or voice mail and send it by thought alone. No need to type an email, dial a phone or even speak a word.
Known as synthetic telepathy, the technology is based on reading electrical activity in the brain using an electroencephalograph, or EEG. Similar technology is being marketed as a way to control video games by thought.
"I think that this will eventually become just another way of communicating," said Mike D'Zmura, from the University of California, Irvine and the lead scientist on the project....
(Excerpt) Read more at dsc.discovery.com ...
What do you mean ? What misuse do you envision ?
Soon noobs on Free Republic will be able to post vanities by thought alone!
Good. Let’s put one on both candidates to wear at the next debate. I’d like to know what is on Obama’s mind as he attempts to deceive the public. Put one on the moderator too.
THAT would make for great television (although the whole thing would be subtitled only).
"Maybe I should do this for halloween this year..."
And I know what y’all are thinking “Yeesh!!! What IS he wearing underNEATH that?!!!!”
Clint Eastwood, FireFox.
They say it can be turned off. We know however that technology does exist to turn on (or at least access) certain devices through remote means by unauthorized persons. This is shown by the report that came out in the last couple of years that the government can in fact remotely trigger a microphone in a person's cell phone, even when the cell phone is turned off, giving the government the ability to listen to everything the person is saying. These are but some of the misuses I can envision. There are more that seem to me not outside the realm of possibility.
Not disturbing if you can not speak and are a quadroplegic.
If you dont have the agility to use switches or other means to access computers but can read and are cognitive this helmet deal would be a real break through.
Just imagine wiping a blackboard clean repeatedly. Nothing can be discerned. I learned that trick when I dated a man, an Airforce specialist, who could read minds.
Great tool for the thought police.
Not being a scientist or a doctor, I don't know what other possibilities may be out there for Gehrig's patients, but I wouldn't be shocked to find that other proposals (of equal likelihood to work) do exist but aren't being touted---just like adult stem cell research is so often ignored (despite its greater promise) by those who push for fetal stem-cell research.
One thing I’m sure. The ACLU will sue to prevent the police or the military from using this on the Islamo-facists that are captured by the US.
Fire rearward missile!
I'm reminded of the poem "First They Came..." by Martin Niemoller which reads:
"When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
"When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
"When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I was not a Jew.
"When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out."
We have to be careful and extremely hesitant about what we support our government doing to anyone (including terrorists, criminals, prisoners of war, etc.), mostly out of pure principle, but also because it will most certainly be us next.
Huge diff IMO between using fetal stem cells and a helmet.
Emotional oh hell yeah but we would never think of taking what would have been a life and using that to heal.
Placing a chip or other non tissue type of tech to enable communication (independently) in a heart beat.
We have been so lucky to benefit from space tech for seating and other medical devices to live independent in the world and have an active life and not be home-bound.
30yrs MarcoPolo we have been blessed to lived a life that many non disabled never aspire too.
Unless I missed in the article where this technology is using fetal stem cells I have to strongly disagree with your comparison.
Guess we should not have technology that gives wheelchair lifts/switches and other devices that give the severely disabled some level of Independence either.
jfpe jpirpipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeipkmcv
I ne e kr krrrrrrrrrrr;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
Fetal stem-cell research is inherently evil. This technology, like all technology is susceptible to misuse, but there is nothing inherently evil about it.
Maybe I wasn't very clear about what I was really getting at in my comparison. In both cases the potential for (or in the case of fetal stem-cell research, the certainty of) harm to others far outweighs the potential for good to a relatively small percentage of the population. With the helmet, I have no doubt that not only our government, but also other governments, stalkers, pedophiles, and other less than savory individuals or groups will endanger the entire public---the disabled included.
My point is with some technologies (such as wheelchairs and other mobility devices), there is little to no intrinsic danger posed to the population at large. With others, such as this one, the danger is so obvious and pervasive as to make it not worth risking.
Agreed. But as I stated in a previous post, the potential for harm is so great and pervasive as to make this technology utterly inadvisable. In short, I wish they weren't developing it.
In my case I wish I could live forever as a healthy young person and could fly by pure will. Our wishes will not come true.
Area 51, making alien technology work for YOU!
It is not buying a Segway.
You will not what ever your intentions are can buy a helmet.
Each one will be profitted to that individuals level of need.
And at a price that only if the item is 100% going to make ones life self sufficient in communication needs...meaning well I wont go into 30yrs of education in augmentative language skills ...
How many people do you hear of in the news stealing augmentative communication devices from the disabled and the units can cost upward to 10,000 bucks...
Has no use on the market if the system is programmed to the user and his intended needs.
Heck I would like to get a smart car to drive or a street legal golf cart just not to have to drive the big bus we need to get around for checking mail/buying local supplies ect ect..but they are to spendy and too smart. : )
Oh Crud I had to check your sign up date and page.
Sorry I called you a Dude.
Your a Southern Gal.
Dudette.
But yes, I am a Southern gal.
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