Brain Power - Paralyzed People Controlling their Lives with their Thoughts!

Brain power has been a hip word in the world of Neuroscience that has now gained even more popularity in the entertainment arena by making virtual reality much more advanced, and more so benefiting the virtual gaming technologies. But in this race of using this remarkable invention in something for a greater good and superior cause, neuroscientists haven’t quite shown a lot of exuberance for some time. Probably because entertainment technologies are so heavily commercialized that doing something for the benefit of mankind on the whole has become a second priority for many if not all.

“Brain power” which sounds so cool and enigmatic is all about Brain-Computer Interface. What neuroscientists have successfully invented is a way of either signals to the brain from a computer or commanding computers by sending signals directly from the brain. So far the advancement in this technology is only limited to one way-communication. That is either brain can send or receive signals from an external computer or a machine but cannot do both at the same time.

The latest users of this technology are the paralyzed researchers who are testing hardware that allows them to control computers with nothing but their thoughts! Last week, a fascinating report aired on 60 Minutes by Scot Pelley, showed how two disabled early adopters use this nascent technology to communicate.

A Professor of Neuroscience, Scott Mackler has a Lou GehrigLou Gehrig’s disease which makes him nearly immobile. He wears a cap that has an array of electrodes to command his computer. The cap picks up his faint brain signals and relays them to the computers. By using this technology, he has managed to work, author papers, and even send text messages to his kids.

Another brave user Cathy Hutchinson who survived a stroke, has an array of electrodes directly implanted into the motor area of her brain. She successfully sends emails, play music, and remotely controls her electric wheel-chair with the device. Both Mackler and Hutchinson have used this technology to improve their lives. If only neuroscientists work more rigorously to monitor and decode the signals that make up our thoughts, they can make this technology a blessing for millions in this world!