What is Artificial Intelligence?

Predicted fMRI images for celery and airplane show significant similarities with the observed images for each word. Red indicates areas of high activity, blue indicates low activity. Credit: Courtesy of Science

For many years, scientists have been trying to find ways to decipher human thoughts. It took several algorithms and neuro-scans to get to the bottom of how the brain really works.

In their most recent study, a computer scientist, Tom Mitchell, and a cognitive neuroscientist, Marcel Just, both from Carnegie Mellon University, used fMRI data to develop a sophisticated computational models.

These models were designed to predict the brain's response in relation to concrete nouns, or things that we experience through our senses.

The researchers created models for 60 concrete nouns which have been taken fMRI activation patterns. These models were also used to analyze text corpus, a set of text containing a trillion words noting any relationship of each noun to a set of 25 verbs associated with sensory or motor functions.

Combining fMRI data and analysis of the text corpus, the computer was able to predict the brain activity pattern of thousands of other concrete nouns.

Using this method, the researchers have determined that using their computational model is significantly better than chance. An important implication to understanding brain-related diseases and memory losses.

Click here to read more about Brain Imaging and Computational Modeling, Mind Reading using fMRI

Prof. Pine with a child using the Play Attention system

ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a behavior problem affecting a considerable number of children, young adults and adults. People with ADHD find it "hard to control their impulses and inhibit inappropriate behaviour," said Professor Karen Pine of the University of Hertfordshire's School of Psychology.

When left unattended, ADHD can lead to educational and behavioral difficulties. That's why ADHD has been a focus of study amongst psychologists and many scientists for many years, to find an effective treatment and to finally deal with ADHD-associated behavior properly.

A new system called Play Attention has been introduced lately by a group of psychologists headed by Prof. Karen Pine, and assistant Farjana Nasrin. The team used a system provided by not-for-profit company, Games for Life, three times a week for 12 weeks.

Prof. Pine and her team studied the effects of EEG (Electroencephalography) biofeedback to a learning strategy such as Play Attention, that detects brain waves of ten children with an attention deficit from Hertfordshire schools.

Play Attention allows children to play a fun educational computer game while wearing a bicycle-like helmet. The helmet detects their brain activity in the form of EEG waves related to attention. As long as the child concentrates the game continues, but as soon as their attention waivers the game stops.

And researchers have found a positive reduction of the children's impulsive behavior after the study compared to a control group who have not used the system.

Games for Life plans to present Play Attention across the UK this month.

Click here to read more about Play Attention, Effects of EEG on ADHD.

a diagram illustrating how the photovoltaic retinal prosthesis works

A Pro-forming photovoltaic artificial retina has just been launched after several years of research and development.

The good news is, this retinal prosthesis works by feeding the embedded solar cells with a beam of light. Unlike other types of retinal prosthesis which uses RF signals to power the nano-circuits, this new retinal prosthesis uses light to activate both power and data cells.

Researchers from Standford University have uniquely designed this photovoltaic retinal prosthesis with miniature solar cells. The 3mm thick subretinal device works together with a video camera that captures images, a pocket PC that processes the video feed, and a bright near-infrared LCD display built into video goggles, which beams invisible light to the chip.

This Stanford device is implanted in the back of the retina. The chip is also configured in three layers such that together are 30 micrometers thick. The layer is a series of pixels, each formed from a three photovoltaic cells of three different sizes. The purpose of which is to boost the amount of current each pixel sends to the still functional intermediate layers of the retina that perform the eye’s natural image processing and data compression.

According to Daniel Palanker, a Stanford professor of ophthalmology who worked on the chip, "a photovoltaic prosthesis is limited to a pixel size of about 50 µm, corresponding to visual acuity of 20/100." Which is already sufficient for face recognition and for reading large fonts.

Click here to read more about Photovoltaic Retinal Prosthesis, Standford Artificial Retina

artist's rendring of brain activities

Natural brain activities have been measured to show changes in the learning curves of the brain connection during particular activities.

Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Chieti, Italy, have recently reported in their study that the brain's spontaneous activity is but organized in patterns of correlated activity. Furthermore, this study have shown that the learning behaviors have caused considerable changes in the spontaneous brain patterns.

The researchers performed an experiment on 14 volunteers who were brain-scanned through fMRI as they rested. Then, they were scanned again as they went through the activities involving watching displays of MRI patterns with an inverted 'T' in an area of the screen. The activities lasted for five to seven days.

After the experiment, the subjects were scanned for the third time while they did nothing.

fMRI scan results have shown that at the start of the experiment, while the subjects rested, the spontaneous brain activities in the two parts of the brain were weakly correlated with the two regions involved in the activities.

Also, scans showed that either of these two is active during the tests, meaning they do not work simultaneously which lead to the conclusion that "disruption of spontaneous correlated activity may be a common mechanism through which brain function abnormalities manifest in a number of neurological, psychiatric or developmental conditions," Corbetta says.

Click here to learn more about Learning 'Sculpts of the Brain, Spontaneous Brain Patterns, Anti-Correlation between Parts of the Brain

Epoc Headset Brainwave Controller by Emotiv Systems

A new technology has been launched lately to make gaming experience a 'more real' adventure and fun. Imagine playing a video game and seeing all your reactions and expressions being mimicked by characters in the game, in real time! How cool is that?

Emotiv Systems have developed the revolutionary Epoc Headset Brainwave Controller that is especially created to augment virtual gaming experience. Emotiv EPOC is a high resolution, neuro-signal acquisition and processing wireless neuroheadset. It uses a set of sensors to capture the brains electric signals to detect thoughts, emotions and expressions of the player and connects wirelessly to most PCs via Bluetooth.

The Emotive Systems call it the "revolutionary new personal interface for human computer interaction".

The Epoc Headset takes advantage of three detection suites which are included in the package. The Affectiv™ Suite monitors emotional states of the player in real-time. It provides an extra dimension in game interaction by allowing the characters in the game to respond to the player's emotions. Characters can transform in response to the player's feeling.

Cognitiv™ Suite reads and interprets a player's conscious thoughts and intent. Gamers can take full control over virtual objects using only thoughts! While Expressiv™ Suite uses the signals measured by the neuroheadset to interpret player facial expressions in real-time. The Epoc Headset only costs $299.

Click here to read more about Epoc Headset Brainwave Controller.