fMRI technology develops ability to loosely read contents of minds

[Stillwater]

I have read a series of articles, and encountered some recent media, which deals with the subject of using Functional MRI scans to "read" the subject of a person's thoughts; the concept is that one can map the areas of the brain which are active when a respondent claims to be thinking of certain idea, and, after making an empirical bank of brainscans of many individuals, a rough diagram can be made which illustrates what areas are generally always active when any given individual is thinking of the stated idea. In the current state of this technology, the researchers can use a bank of 1000 images, and predict which image the participant is viewing based on their records of other individuals viewing the same image.

Although, as the researchers state, different participants will bring idiosynchracies to the table which slightly alter their maps, the extent to which empirical data can describe the brainstates of any given participant thinking the same concept is disturbing. The implications of this technology is that scans can be developed, given a suficient lexicon of empirical date, that can determine in fairly minute detail what a person is likely to be thinking at the moment. The researcher being interviewed in the first link claimed that he believed that in three to five years, the scan would be advanced to the point where legible and reliable ideas may be take directly from people;s  minds without their consent. In addition, the scanner could operate covertly via a remotely projected laser, so that individuals might not even know that they were being subjected to the MRI.

This technology has implications on legal situations, international spying, and, in my opinion, stands a powerful chance at the violation of individuals at the hands of groups in a position to use monetary or latigionous means to extract anything they desire from their prone victims.

One of the proposed uses pointed out in the third article involves scanning masses of people without their consent, and ultimately imprisoning those that the scans suggest have the propensity to commit crime in the future- real 1984 material.

While I find this technology extremely intriguing, I must admit I can only see it being put to vulgar and morally perverse ends, for essentially it would amount to a tool for mental rape.

Here is some information I found on the subject- Enjoy! Dialectic discussion is encouraged.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwda7YWK0WQ

http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-06/mind-reading-tech-way

http://people.howstuffworks.com/mri-lie-detector2.htm

[KRDecade]

This is not good at all.

[Stillwater]

It would not seem good in the least. I cannot possibly think of a wholesome use for reading other people's thoughts, but I can consider a host of not so nice ones....

[iNNERvOYAGER]

Very interesting, thanks.

One basic factor is that MRI is expensive.

For example, my wife had a neck injury and the doctor wanted an MRI. The heath insurance refused to pay because of the cost, ignoring the doctor's request.

This is very important research, but I doubt that people will be pulled off the streets, strapped into MRI machines and subjected to mind reading sessions.

Maybe someday "they" will develop a portable brain fMRI helmet and reduce the cost a great deal. Then I guess I'd be worried, risking corruption and false accusation.

I recommend that all congress and senate get scanned now to create a baseline, then have periodic routine ethics checkups.

[zareste]

I'm quite certain an MRI can't read your mind with much accuracy. Maybe a few emotions but that's it. The mind simply doesn't work the way Western biology believes

[Stillwater]

While I agree with that statement, I do think it is possible to extract basic ideas, and the experiments in the articles do show you can do that, with simple idead like "hammer" and "apartment".

Reading complex thought patterns is another matter, but the researchers conducting the experiment seems confident it could be pinned down in a few years.

One basic factor is that MRI is expensive.

For example, my wife had a neck injury and the doctor wanted an MRI. The heath insurance refused to pay because of the cost, ignoring the doctor's request.

This is very important research, but I doubt that people will be pulled off the streets, strapped into MRI machines and subjected to mind reading sessions.

I do agree that MRIs are expensive, but a large part of the cost is the from the operator, and the Neurologist who reads the scans. This system is already automated, and although the equipment itself if bulky, the scan can take place in a sepperate location from the equipment, and can be done via a laser-aimed beam. It is indeed possible to do it covertly.

[interception]

Mind reading technology should eventually lead to mind editing technology: Think Accelerated learning. Editing out of bad memories. Total mind wipe and "reprogramming" of some of the nastier criminals perhaps?

This opens up discussions of whether suffering is really necessary for people to grow as individuals? Why not just edit out the bad memories? Do they really make us stronger?

It will also potentially lead to mind uploading and copying... which will make it very interesting to see how the energy body/higher-self and all that stuff fits into all this. 

A copied human mind uploaded to a very fast artificial substrate of some sort will be an AI, no?

Might be some interesting times ahead...