Thought Identification

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know I cover a wide range of subjects and I am a firm believer in lifelong learning and change. You also know I like the subjects 60 Minutes addresses and have posted pieces from them on a number of occasions. Well, they had another exceptional piece last Sunday on a potentially very controversial subject neuroscientist Marcel Just refers to as "thought identification" which is basically what I discussed in my November 2, 2008 post entitled Imagine.

The difference in this segment and the Imagine piece is the application of the new technology. Dr. Just is just one scientist who is working on the technology that will allow us to determine what a person is thinking. Yes, you read it right. They are working on the technology to be able to tell what someone is thinking and it is advancing at a "stunning rate."

The implication for the new technology is incredible when we think about its application in the field of criminal investigations, getting information from potential terrorists, talking to employees about something in a business setting, getting information from your teenager, ... and the list goes on and on.

The application I find absolutely intriguing is the possible uses it has for people with disabilities, especially someone who cannot talk because of an injury, birth defect, disease, or any one of a number of disabling conditions. The possibilities are endless and the following video didn't even address disabilities.

One thing I found very interesting was the Comments section on the CBS News website following the transcript and video. There are obviously differing opinions about the entire idea of what some people might do with the technology. You can read the comments by clicking here.

If you haven't already seen the piece, I encourage you to watch Lesley Stahl's January 4th piece here:




I look forward to your comments.

Later,

Mike