Sci-Tech & Solution

Direct brain-to-brain communication demonstrated in human subjects

View of emitter and receiver subjects with non-invasive devices supporting, respectively, the BCI based on EEG changes driven by motor imagery (left) and the CBI based on the reception of phosphenes elicited by a neuronavigated TMS (right) components of the B2B transmission system.

Credit: Grau C, Ginhoux R, Riera A, Nguyen TL, Chauvat H, et al. (2014) Conscious Brain-to-Brain Communication in Humans Using Non-Invasive Technologies. PLoS ONE 9(8): e105225. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0105225                                

clicktoknowtech.blogspot.com

 In a first-of-its-kind study, an international team of neuroscientists and robotics engineers have demonstrated the viability of direct brain-to-brain communication in humans. Recently published in PLOS ONE the highly novel findings describe the successful transmission of information via the internet between the intact scalps of two human subjects -- located 5,000 miles apart.

"We wanted to find out if one could communicate directly between two people by reading out the brain activity from one person and injecting brain activity into the second person, and do so across great physical distances by leveraging existing communication pathways," explains coauthor Alvaro Pascual-Leone, MD, PhD, Director of the Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. "One such pathway is, of course, the internet, so our question became, 'Could we develop an experiment that would bypass the talking or typing part of internet and establish direct brain-to-brain communication between subjects located far away from each other in India and France?'"

It turned out the answer was "yes."

In the neuroscientific equivalent of instant messaging, Pascual-Leone, together with Giulio Ruffini and Carles Grau leading a team of researchers from Starlab Barcelona, Spain, and Michel Berg, leading a team from Axilum Robotics, Strasbourg, France, successfully transmitted the words "hola" and "ciao" in a computer-mediated brain-to-brain transmission from a location in India to a location in France using internet-linked electroencephalogram (EEG) and robot-assisted and image-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) technologies.

Previous studies on EEG-based brain-computer interaction (BCI) have typically made use of communication between a human brain and computer. In these studies, electrodes attached to a person's scalp record electrical currents in the brain as a person realizes an action-thought, such as consciously thinking about moving the arm or leg. The computer then interprets that signal and translates it to a control output, such as a robot or wheelchair.

But, in this new study, the research team added a second human brain on the other end of the system. Four healthy participants, aged 28 to 50, participated in the study. One of the four subjects was assigned to the brain-computer interface (BCI) branch and was the sender of the words; the other three were assigned to the computer-brain interface (CBI) branch of the experiments and received the messages and had to understand them.

Using EEG, the research team first translated the greetings "hola" and "ciao" into binary code and then emailed the results from India to France. There a computer-brain interface transmitted the message to the receiver's brain through noninvasive brain stimulation. The subjects experienced this as phosphenes, flashes of light in their peripheral vision. The light appeared in numerical sequences that enabled the receiver to decode the information in the message, and while the subjects did not report feeling anything, they did correctly receive the greetings.

A second similar experiment was conducted between individuals in Spain and France, with the end result a total error rate of just 15 percent, 11 percent on the decoding end and five percent on the initial coding side.

"By using advanced precision neuro-technologies including wireless EEG and robotized TMS, we were able to directly and noninvasively transmit a thought from one person to another, without them having to speak or write," says Pascual-Leone. "This in itself is a remarkable step in human communication, but being able to do so across a distance of thousands of miles is a critically important proof-of-principle for the development of brain-to-brain communications. We believe these experiments represent an important first step in exploring the feasibility of complementing or bypassing traditional language-based or motor-based communication."

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Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Carles Grau, Romuald Ginhoux, Alejandro Riera, Thanh Lam Nguyen, Hubert Chauvat, Michel Berg, Julià L. Amengual, Alvaro Pascual-Leone, Giulio Ruffini.Conscious Brain-to-Brain Communication in Humans Using Non-Invasive Technologies. PLoS ONE, 2014; 9 (8): e105225 DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0105225

Sci-Tech & Solution

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Sci-Tech & Solution

Your Calls May Soon Be Monitored - NCC

In view of the unstable security situation in the country, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, says security agencies will soon commence monitoring of all calls to enhance their operational activities in the country.

This Commission announced this recently at a special edition of Consumer Outreach programme organized by the commission at IBB Golf Club, Maitama, Abuja.

According to the commission, plans are in the offing to come up with a guideline that will guide the take off of the plan in such a way that no subscriber’s right or privacy would be breached in the process.
Though, the Commission promised to ensure full protection of the rights of every consumer through the proposed guidelines, it however noted that there is no enabling law at the moment to guide the operators on such powers and called for a quick enactment of legislations to give the proposed guideline a legal backing by the time the implementation proper kicks off. According to the commission’s legal adviser, Mrs. Yetunde Akinloye,

“In view of the worrisome security situation in the country, the security agencies are about to key into peoples’ conversation. We as a regulatory agency are coming with guidelines that will guide the operators on this. Though, at the moment, we do not have a law to guide how the operators should keep consumers privacy in conversation, we also need this guideline. to enhance the smooth implementation of the plan.”

Recall that last year Senator Isa Galaudu, PDP Kebbi North sponsored a bill entitled A Bill for an Act to Provide for Interception, Development and Protection of Communications Networks and Facilities for Public Interest and Other Related Matters 2013.

The bill seeks to give legal backing to relevant national chief security officers, national security agency, Department of State Services and Police to intercept communications considered prejudicial to national security or public interest.

The bill passed second reading in the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly and was referred to the Senate committees on Communication, Judiciary and National Security for further legislative input. However, though the bill generated serious condemnations from different quarters going by wide spread fears of privacy breach it could bring about, it received overwhelming support in the Senate, in September last year.

But the NCC is promising that the soon to be released guidelines will take care of fears of privacy breach and ensure that the process does not affect genuine conversations.

In his opening remarks, the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Engr. Ubale Maska said since the establishment of the Consumer Affairs Bureau, in 2001, the Commission had taken several initiatives to address numerous challenges consumers are facing by coming up with projects that will ensure and guarantee that consumer are well informed, educated and protected at all times.

Also corroborating him, Director Consumer Affairs Bureau of the Commission, Mrs. Maryam Bayi said, the Commission had made remarkable strides in its bid to protect the interest of telecom consumers, not just as a fulfillment of its mandate but also as commitment to ensure that Nigerian telecoms consumers get value for their money.

she explained that the Commission had come up with a number of regulations and initiatives for the purpose of protecting the telecom consumer interest. They include:

the establishment of regulations on consumer code of practice, quality of service, enforcement, mobile number portability among others.

Also speaking, the Assistant Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Reuben Muoka described the regulation of the Nigerian telecom sector as a delicate balance for the commission Muoka noted that the consumer outreach programme of the commission has not only made Nigerian consumers the most celebrated among other consumers in Nigerian economy but has also been recognized by the International telecommunication Union, ITU as an innovative initiative helping the commission to alleviate consumers problems.

Sci-Tech & Solution

19 People And Products You Didn’t Know Came From Israel

From technology to entertainment, Israel has given some pretty cool things to the world.

1. SodaStream

Via johanssonweb.org

2. Waze

Via readwrite.com

In 2013, Waze won the Best Overall Mobile App award at the Mobile World Congress and was purchased by Google for a cool $1.3 billion

3. Natalie Portman

Via thefilmstage.com

Born Natalie Hershlag in Jerusalem

4. Max Brenner Chocolate Bar

Via bu.edu

With locations in the USA, Australia, the Philippines, Singapore and Israel

5. Viber

Via agbeat.com

6. WiX

Via forbes.com

7. Cherry Tomatoes

Via commons.wikimedia.org

8. Rummikub

Via en.wikipedia.org

The most popular game in the USA in 1977

9. Shopping.com

Via tomuse.com

Began as DealTime.com, which was founded in Israel in 1998 by Dr. Nahum Sharfman and Amir Ashkenazi

10. USB Flash Drive

Via en.wikipedia.org

Invented by the Israeli company M-Systems

11. Hillel Slovak

Via pt.wikipedia.org

The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ original guitarist; born in Haifa, Israel

12. Microsoft Windows XP

Via avitimes.com

Primarily developed in Israel; in 2008, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said: “If you do the math, Microsoft is almost as much an Israeli company as it is an American company.”

13. Paranormal Activity

Via thefilmstage.com

Written and directed by Israeli Oren Peli

14. ICQ

Via seferhashlichut.blogspot.com

Known today as AOL Chat

15. Power Rangers

Via ign.com

Produced by Saban Entertainment, founded by Israeli Haim Saban

16. Amazon’s Kindle

Via shawnblanc.net

Israeli Lilach Zipory and her team at Sun developed a device for reading the Kindle.

17. Homeland

Via homeofhomeland.com

Based on the Israeli series Hatufim (“Prisoners of War”)

18. Computer Printing As We Know It Today

Via superwarehouse.com

The E-Print 1000, launched by Israeli company Indigo in 1993, enabled printing directly from a computer file

19. Gene Simmons from Kiss

Via news.com.au

Born Haim Witz in Haifa, Israel

This post was created by a user and has not been vetted or endorsed by BuzzFeed's editorial staff. BuzzFeed Community is a place where anyone can post awesome lists and creations. Learn more or post your buzz

A Simple Plant Kills Up To 98% Of Cancer Cells – And Stops Diabetes

I’m always looking for natural substances that throw a “monkey wrench” into the peculiar metabolism of cancer cells. It’s vital these substances kill cancer cells and leave normal cells untouched.

By Dr Robert Rowen

I’ve told you about some of my discoveries in the past. They include resveratrol, green tea, Seanol, and others. But today I’m going to tell you about another plant that safely starves cancer cells as efficiently as a powerful chemo drug. In fact, it even works on pancreatic cancer cells, which are particularly difficult to kill.
This plant is a common vegetable from Asia called “bitter melon.” It is popular among the long-lived population of Okinawa, Japan.

Bitter melon juice diluted to just 5% in water showed remarkable potency in severely damaging all four pancreatic cancer cell lines researchers tested. The bitter melon reduced the viability of two cancer cell lines by 90%, while it knocked off the other two lines by a staggering 98%. And it did so after just 72 hours of treatment!

In the past, I’ve told you about apoptosis. That’s nature’s way of dealing with wayward cells. They simply kill themselves. Bitter melon juice induced this programmed cell death along several different pathways. And even better, it also activated a pathway, which shows that it knocks out the cancer cells’ metabolism of glucose. In other words, it literally starved them of the sugar they need to survive.

Do these lab dish studies apply to living animals? A resounding yes! University of Colorado researchers gave mice bitter melon at doses easily achievable in humans. The animals had a 64% reduction in pancreatic tumor size without side effects! This level of effectiveness beat the most commonly used chemo drugs for this lethal cancer.

Windows 9 may get virtual desktops, ditch the Charms bar

The next Windows 8.1 update might prove to be a modest one, but Microsoft has plenty of changes in store for Windows 9. According to insiders, Windows 9 may dump the Charms bar and add support for virtual desktops.

The plan, apparently, is to move Charm functionality into the title bar to make Metro apps a better fit on the Windows 9 Desktop. The move to eliminate the Charms baris a surprising one, but it’s not the first about-face Microsoft has made since introducing Windows 8. The Start Button was unceremoniously killed only to be resurrected in a neutered form, and now we know it’s going to be wired to a full Start Menu again in Windows 9.
We’ve also seen Microsofttweak button layouts on the Start Screen to make powering off and rebooting more obvious. They’ve laid the groundwork for windowed Metro apps by making them appear on the taskbar in Desktop mode and adding a title bar with close button in Metro.
They’re clearly taking user feedback to heart and working to make Windows 9 the new Windows 7 — and squash any Vista-ness that’s been lingering in Windows 8.
It also sounds like power users may finally have official first-party support for virtual desktops in Windows 9. Linux and OS X users have been able to set up multiple desktops for years, and it’s been possible on Windows, too, with the help of third-party software.
With Windows 9, you’ll no longer need a helper app. The plumbing for virtual desktop support has been buried in Windows all along, and it’s great to hear that Microsoft is finally going to give Windows users the option to configure more than one workspace. No, it’s not something that the average user is ever going to bother with, but organized geeks will be all over virtual desktops. I’m willing to bet that a lot of users who hate the Metro interface will applaud the addition.

Sci-Tech & Solution

This Car Runs For 100 Years Without Refueling – The Thorium Car

If your car was powered by thorium, you would never need to refuel it. The vehicle would burn out long before the chemical did. The thorium would last so long, in fact, it would probably outlive you.
That’s why a company called Laser Power Systems has created a concept for a thorium-powered car engine. The element is radioactive, and the team uses bits of it to build a laser beam that heats water, produces steam, and powers an energy-producing turbine.

Thorium is one of the most dense materials on the planet. A small sample of it packs 20 million times more energy than a similarly-sized sample of coal, making it an ideal energy source.
The thing is, Dr. Charles Stevens, the CEO of Laser Power Systems, told Mashable that thorium engines won’t be in cars anytime soon.
“Cars are not our primary interest,” Stevens said. ”The automakers don’t want to buy them.”
He said too much of the automobile industry is focused on making money off of gas engines, and it will take at least a couple decades for thorium technology to be used enough in other industries that vehicle manufacturers will begin to consider revamping the way they think about engines.
“We’re building this to power the rest of the world,” Stevens said. He believes a thorium turbine about the size of an air conditioning unit could more provide cheap power for whole restaurants, hotels, office buildings, even small towns in areas of the world without electricity. At some point, thorium could power individual homes.

Stevens understands that people may be wary of Thorium because it is radioactive — but any such worry would be unfounded.
Get more insight here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68A_HPYGdlk

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