Yesterday we reported on the fact that MRI scans disproved the theory that you can have ESP. However, MRIs themselves seem to have a little bit of ESP. Or at least the ability to read your brain.
A two-year study which was just completed over at Carnegie Mellon University shows that a brain scan can read the patterns of the brain to determine when you are thinking about certain familiar objects.
The study asked participants who were being monitored by MRI scanning technology to think about the properties of ten different familiar objects shown to them one at a time. Doing so, information was revealed about how you store information. For example, when you think about the properties of a hammer, you think about its purpose, its shape, and the swinging motion used when using it. The brain thinks about these parts in different areas. Tracking these areas, the researchers were able to tell which objects were being thought about.
Of course, this doesn't mean that someone could hook you up to an MRI and know what you're thinking. The study was limited to just these ten familiar objects and included extensive reviews of how those objects were seen be the paricular brains of the study participants. But it provides interesting information about the workings of the brain and the way that we store information.
Question of the Day: Would you participate in a study such as this one? Why or why not?
