Mind Police

duga · 04-12-2010, 04:54 PM

Making fun of the topic doesn't help promote an intelligent discussion. With all the tech developments, discussions like these are legitimate.

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 04-12-2010, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duga

When did I ever say I felt this would result in mind reading the masses?

The point I was making was that it would be used to further an agenda, whatever it may be. Don't tell me the Bush administration wouldn't have used this technology on those people if it was available to them.

Mind reading the masses would be ridiculous, I never said that would happen. The fear of it happening would be there, however...and that is what matters.

I'm just a bit turned off by the negativity in most of the replies about technology like this. Why assume the worst about it? It probably would be used in some unethical ways, but it's potential to me seems pretty limitless. A lot like the internet. It's used for some pretty disgusting things and it's even abused by Governments but look how much it changed our lives for the better as well.

Guybrush · 04-12-2010, 05:05 PM

This is old news to me. I saw a documentary once on technology similar to this. A handicapped lady was able to steer the mouse on a computer by thought alone. Another guy used it for writing (thinking the letters, much like described here). They were not in an MRI scanner while doing so. Their brain activity was measured in other ways.

I'm not worried about misuse of such technology, but I'm not scared of the government either. No government ever hurt me and I can't see any obvious reason why one should. This technology can really help a lot of people, though, such as allowing handicapped people to control computers or robots with their minds to do work for them .. For example to talk for someone who's lost the ability to do so.

ex :

Here's something more related to what I saw :

It's not creating images on the screen, but yeah - related.

duga · 04-12-2010, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Conan

I'm just a bit turned off by the negativity in most of the replies about technology like this. Why assume the worst about it? It probably would be used in some unethical ways, but it's potential to me seems pretty limitless. A lot like the internet. It's used for some pretty disgusting things and it's even abused by Governments but look how much it changed our lives for the better as well.

This is the kind of discussion I wanted...not just people commenting on how stupid someone who thinks negatively about it is.

I agree, there are some amazing things that could come out of this. In particular, the potential to record and more closely analyze your dreams. That sounds amazing to me. I just think we need to be careful.

Akira · 04-12-2010, 05:08 PM

Even if this technology existed (which we have no proof of right now) the very worse it could do is to show what image is in a person's mind at the time. It wouldn't be able to read a persons thoughts because thought's aren't images or sentences or words, thoughts are abstract and instantaneous. The technology would have no way of rendering that thought and the person behind it wouldn't be able to interpret any of it.

Urban Hat€monger ? · 04-12-2010, 05:26 PM

If they want to see what's on my mind they don't need to invent some hokey machine to tell them. All they have to do is go to a local newsagent & pick up a copy of Razzle.

It would be a lot more accurate too.

Akira · 04-12-2010, 05:27 PM

I never imagined your thoughts as tame as Razzel, Urban

boo boo · 04-22-2010, 08:56 AM

THE DREAM POLICE, THEY LIVE INSIDE OF MY HEAD!!!

INSIDE OF MY HEAD!!!

THE DREAM POLICE, THEY COME TO ME IN MY BED!!!

COME TO ME IN MY BED!!!

Sorry about that.

Captain Awesome · 04-22-2010, 03:02 PM

I saw them doing this on "House" :P LOL

Yeah, interesting stuff. Scary **** though. I'm actually reading 1984 for the third time now, first time in years but I found it when clearing out my room and started getting into it again.

Captain Awesome · 04-22-2010, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akira

Even if this technology existed (which we have no proof of right now) the very worse it could do is to show what image is in a person's mind at the time. It wouldn't be able to read a persons thoughts because thought's aren't images or sentences or words, thoughts are abstract and instantaneous. The technology would have no way of rendering that thought and the person behind it wouldn't be able to interpret any of it.

Not really. There's a lot of evidence to suggest that when you recall a memory you see it as a still image.

04-12-2010, 04:54 PM	#21 (permalink)
duga MB quadrant's JM Vincent Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 3,762	Making fun of the topic doesn't help promote an intelligent discussion. With all the tech developments, discussions like these are legitimate. __________________ Confusion will be my epitaph...

04-12-2010, 05:05 PM	#23 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	This is old news to me. I saw a documentary once on technology similar to this. A handicapped lady was able to steer the mouse on a computer by thought alone. Another guy used it for writing (thinking the letters, much like described here). They were not in an MRI scanner while doing so. Their brain activity was measured in other ways. I'm not worried about misuse of such technology, but I'm not scared of the government either. No government ever hurt me and I can't see any obvious reason why one should. This technology can really help a lot of people, though, such as allowing handicapped people to control computers or robots with their minds to do work for them .. For example to talk for someone who's lost the ability to do so. ex : Here's something more related to what I saw : It's not creating images on the screen, but yeah - related. __________________ Something Completely Different

04-12-2010, 05:26 PM	#26 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,605	If they want to see what's on my mind they don't need to invent some hokey machine to tell them. All they have to do is go to a local newsagent & pick up a copy of Razzle. It would be a lot more accurate too. __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave.

04-22-2010, 03:02 PM	#29 (permalink)
Captain Awesome On A Rampage Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 317	I saw them doing this on "House" :P LOL Yeah, interesting stuff. Scary **** though. I'm actually reading 1984 for the third time now, first time in years but I found it when clearing out my room and started getting into it again. __________________ "If we're all merely players in a play on this great stage, the problem is the script writers ain't on the same page, I echo through the mountain when I'm singing in the air, from my lab a lad with lavish lyrics living in his lair." "Wake up and listen, hear what's not for the public's ears Pinocchio poets played by profiting puppeteers"