Researchers at the University of Toronto have put together a new technique for coarse determination of thought processes and preferences. It involves a headband set to detect near-infrared radiation, which is apparently emitted by the brain in areas of activity — it has to do with oxygen activity and blood flow. The technique can’t be used to tell if you prefer Coke Zero over Pepsi One (I don’t), but it can be used as a rudimentary choice-making device.
Some similar-in-concept devices are being pitched as game controllers, but they’ve had little success so far. The execution is different, but the idea is the same: supercortical pattern detection.
