Decoding thoughts

In 2011, scientists at the University of California, Berkley discovered an important correlation between our thoughts and our brain patterns.  They found an unique method to reconstruct words from activity occurring within the brain. They hypothesized that sound is processed in the same way we neurologically comprehend and reciprocate speech. Scientists focused their research on the Superior Temporal Gyrus (STG) located within the temporal lobe. The superior temporal gyrus contains two very important areas of the brain, the primary auditory cortex and wernicke's area. The primary auditory cortex is responsible for the processing of every sound we hear, while the wernicke's area is involved with the comprehension of language.  This makes the STG a focal point for researchers of this study.

Image from: Google Images

Scientists performed experiments to test their theory that a computer model could predict speech from neural impulses. The scientists took fifteen subjects and attached electrodes to the STG. They had the subjects listen to words and sentences then recorded their brain activity. They then asked the subjects to think about the word or sentence they had heard and recorded the impulses. Scientists broke down these recordings into two comparable models.

The first model reconstructed the brain activity from the spoken word into a readable pattern. The second model predicted a word from the thoughts of the participants

Image from: BBC News

 Scientists were then able to compare the impulse patterns from the two models. When the scientists compared the results they could tell that there were patterns that could be computed to predict the words that the subjects were thinking. The researchers were able to predict what word the patients were thinking correctly 90% of the time. This research is the first step towards translating neural activity into sound or speech. 

To hear the computers translation please click the link below:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-video/article9052228.ece#ooid=0xNm9lMzpfg7-_a1uBubn16W1eSZgbFF

Neuroscientists have long believed that the brain translates the world around us into electrical activity. The scientists were able to conclude that although research is in its infancy it shows promise for practical applications within the biomedical community. With more research, scientists have speculated that this discovery could be used to help individuals who have suffered traumatic brain injury better communicate. Scientists hope this research leads to a device that can translate thoughts in patients incapable of speech. It could also be used to determine if a comatose person has brain activity or even what they may be thinking. 

Works Cited:

Collins, N. (2012, Jan 31). Mind-reading device could become reality.The telegraph. p. Science News.

Palmer, J. (2012, Jan 31). Science decodes "internal voices."
      BBC News Science & Environment. p. Science and Technology.

Big answers in a small animal

Key for cancer could lie with a jellyfish. That's 

right, the question that has had scientists struggling to answer 

may finally have been found; in something as small as a dime. 

Turritopsis nutricula, is the only animal we've discovered so far that has the ability to completely reverse its life cycle after its gone through a metamorphosis. Usually after a jellyfish reproduces it dies, but this animal can evade that completely through an adapted biological cell development process.(Ma,2010). That means if this animal is threatened in any way it can revert itself into a simpler organism and reproduce. This process can go on indefinitely rendering it technically immortal.

Now how this animal is able to do this is through a process called transdifferentiation. Simply that means, it takes cells in the body that already have a function and gives them a new one to benefit the organism. We have a similar technique used today for stem research. Stem research takes cells that do not have any function and gives them one. With stem research deemed unethical by many, funding for research isn't heavily supported and slows research tremendously. But, studying this animal might give scientists the ability to figure out how this might be able to occur in humans. 

If we were able to understand and hopefully find a way for transdifferentiation to happen in humans; the process could very well make stem research obsolete with a safer more efficient way to fight diseases. The ability that this jellyfish possesses could very well show us how to change unhealthy cancerous cells in the body and reset them to grow healthy and at a much younger state.

Ma,H.(2010).Turritopsis Nutricula. January 22,2013 from     www.sciencepub.net/nature/ns0802/03_1279_hongbao_turritopsis_ns08

2_15_20.pdf

Introduction

Hi I'm Matt and welcome to my blog,

When I knew we had to sustain a blog for the semester as a part of our class I quickly considered dropping this course and attempt to find another class. But, after weighing the options of both I’ve decided to stay with the class and write about something that pertains to my major. As a psychology student and serving within the psychology community at school a well needed understanding of my field is something I strive for as well as am required to have.  

To broaden my knowledge I’ve decided to research new discoveries that have been made in a scientific field, that have benefited the field of psychology. Everyday new animals, plants, new ideas as well as understandings are discovered that easily can be a missing key to many questions scientists have today.

This semester I hope to show you amazing discoveries that have been made with the potential to help save lives; as well as change and innovate our future.