TECHNOLOGIES are often billed as transformative. For William Kochevar,the term is justified. Mr Kochevar is paralysed below the shoulders after a cycling accident, yet has managed to feed himself by his own hand. This remarkable feat is partly thanks to electrodes, and implanted in his good arm,which stimulate muscles. But the real magic lies higher up. Mr Kochevar can control his arm using the power of thought. His intention to go is reflected in neural activity in his motor cortex; these signals are detected by implants in his brain and processed into commands to activate the electrodes in his arms.
An ability to decode thought in this way may sound like science fiction. But brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) like the BrainGate system used by Mr Kochevar provide evidence that mind-control can work. Researchers are able to relate what words and images people have heard and seen from neural activity alone. Information can also be encoded and used to stimulate the brain. Over 300000 people have...
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Source: economist.com