...The pattern predicted a left or right decision with about 60% accuracy and occurred about 10 seconds before the conscious choice,
A few problems with this. First, how accurate is the subjects determination of the time they made the conscious decision. The researchers act like that is a 100% gold standard in accuracy, but I could see that there would be a significant lag.
Second, is there any skewing of right-handedness versus left-handedness? Would I get 60% just by saying "Right, right, right" all the time, counting on the fact that most people are right handed and are more likely to pick the right button?
Third, if I am considering a button, I might be imagining myself pushing it as I think about which one to push. The scanner might just be picking up on the predecision evaluation actions. If my thoughts are "should I move right (twitch right arm) or left (twitch left arm). Maybe right (twitch), yes I have decided right (hit button)", then there are probably a lot more neurons firing in the part of my brain controlling the right side before I finally make the decision.
There’s also the matter of deciding arbitrarily rather than for a cause. There are two things that come to mind immediately that would seem to fulfill their results...one of which is the calculation of the pattern the subject decides to use...and another is that when I make arbitrary choices, I tend to “project” a sensation in some direction as part of the decision-making process. Some people making left-right decisions bring their awareness to a certain part of their body for “left”, and another part for “right”.