Technological magic

As most of us are aware of, EEG, formally electroencephalography, is a method based on transforming brain wave activity into digital data, by recording electrical fluctuations produced by the firing of neurons. Initially used as a research purpose within the field of medicine, it is still being used for medical purposes such as, for instance, tracking down epilepsy and the diagnosis of coma. However, more recently the use of EEG has crossed over the medical boundary, and it is now being applied in diverse settings.

In the previous year, video gaming has broadened its horizon to the possibilities of EEG, and various wireless headsets have been created which can be used to, for example, steer a character in a videogame just by ‘using’ your thinking instead of a manual controller. Although this development is still taking its first steps , the possibilities seem endless and a whole new spectrum of gaming will initiate. It seems not only companies related to recreational gaming have considered the potentials of this ‘mind-reading’ technology, as millions of dollars are invested by the US Department of Defence in research done on the possible role of EEG in computer-based telepathic devices which would be used by soldiers in battlefield.

Although research concerning these fields of study are very interesting to watch develop and the role they may play in the future, it also makes one wonder whether this could be related to more everyday life as well. For instance, at some point EEG technology might be so advanced that instead of having to wear it as a headset, it might be available in a little chip which could be implanted in the brain. This speculation might be realized in the near future, based on how rapidly – within a decade - the size and functions of mobile phones have changed. This chip could have wireless connections to various appliances which are programmed to follow the ‘instructions’ sent by the brain. This idea itself creates infinite ideas in the imagination, and multitasking would become possible without having to leave the location you are at – the coffee machine at home would be switched on to serve a hot cup of cappuccino once you get home, while the car is driving itself out of its parking spot at the same moment you remember to send an important e-mail from the computer via your brain. Physically disabled people would in this way would be able to live a much more independent lifestyle, since research is also conducted on artificial limbs connected to the brain.

Just a few decades ago these ideas might have sounded like a sci-fi Hollywood plot, but at the moment who knows what the future in this field of technology holds in store for us; who knows, maybe in a hundred years ‘magic’ will finally be possible.