Computers...that read minds. Scary thought!

Does the thought of a computer reading your mind make you uneasy?

Maybe it should.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are teaching PCs how to scan the thoughts of subjects with amazing success.

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (!) on nine subjects, brain patterns associated with fifty-eight different associations for various nouns were first identified, then logged for the record.

Then, the scientists proceeded to test the ability of the computer to discern between two different nouns chosen for the experiment.

According to the researchers, when the little devils were asked to determine which nouns the subject was thinking of, seventy-seven percent of the time the data chasers were right on target.

What are the ramifications?

On a positive note, an application of the principles may one day be used to develop useful devices to open up the field of communication for individuals who have difficulty speaking, for instance.

But, there is the potential for misuse in the event the knowledge falls into evil, self-serving hands.

For example, advanced computers could be programmed to fathom the nature of the thoughts of an individual, figure out if they're fessing up, and so forth and so on.

The science may open a whole Pandora's box of new-fangled "mind police" gadgetry with the ultimate aim of subduing and controlling the masses.

Far fetched?

In the past couple of years one particular bit of research sent up a red flag for me.

In that experiment, a handful of robots were programmed to secure a specific object in an empty room. A can of dog food, for instance. But, when the moment came to carry out the task, something startling occurred.

The robots not only sought out the objects they were programmed to snatch up, but actually pushed and shoved the other robots aside, when they got in the way.

Yet, they had not been programmed to do that!

In a moment of "crisis", the remarkable man-made creations not only figured out how to resolve the dilemma - but ultimately - carry out their directive.

Scary!

The scenario reminded me of the one depicted in Stanley Kubrick's award-winning futuristic feature, 2001: Space Odyssey.

In that top notch Sci-fi thriller - Hal, the main computer - over-rode his Officer's urgent commands when a life-threatening "emergency" scenario developed on the orbiting Space Station

No wonder.

Hal had been programmed with enough code to not only "out-think" his master, but correctly justify his single-minded actions, in spite of the strenuous protests of his superior.

If we give computers too much power - is it possible they may think for themselves one day - and eventually take over at the helm?

Data for thought!