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THE FUTURE OF THOUGHT COMMUNICATION THE FUTURE THOUGHT COMMUNICATION Brain-to-computer interface technology paves the way for instantaneous thought transfer and a new form of communication between people, leading to the prospect that the spoken language may one day become obsolete. Technology to Think About ore than 6.6 billion people live on this planet, and not one of us ever really knows what our family, friends or neighbours are thinking or feeling. When you think about it, the most intimate relationship you have is with your mind. At this very moment, you are reading what were once my thoughts. You might be sitting at home, on your sofa or bed, or maybe you're travelling on public transport. Look around you: no one knows what's going on in your head right now. Can you imagine how different our lives would be if we could interpret the thoughts of those around us, if we could communicate mind to mind? Telepathic communication might sound like the ultimate invasion of privacy, but you only have to take a peek at some of today's mobile phone and Internet technology to realise that we are already connecting in ways hat the human race has never before experienced. Instant messaging services and social networking websites such as Facebook, Bebo and Twitter ave enabled us to share our thoughts and feelings in real time. Today, the computer keyboard is merely an extension of the mind. Take away the cables and monitors, and you soon realise that we have at this moment laid the groundwork for the exchange of information by way of hought. It would seem that the spoken language of the human species could be nearing extinction. For decades, people have been fascinated by the concept of "six degrees of separation"—that we can be linked to every other person on the planet in just six steps or introductions—and, in recent years, Internet applications ave provided researchers with the tools to conduct large-scale studies on our connectedness. In 2008, Microsoft put the six-degrees theory to the test: a study of 30 billion MSN conversations among 240 million people around he world revealed that it would take an average of just 6.6 steps for them all 0 be connected. Today, scientists and researchers are developing technologies that may one day lead to new forms of human-to-human communication. They are confident that future generations will be able to communicate mind to mind hrough technology-enabled telepathy, or tech-lepathy. While mind-to-mind communication might be a little way off, brain-to-computer technology is already in development, and over the coming years we will see it increasingly being used to assist people with disabilities, in particular those who are “locked in". Locked-in patients, such as those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also nown as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) are trapped in their bodies, unable to move or speak. Early trials of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology ave made it possible for some locked-in patients to communicate with their amily and caregivers; they have been able to write emails and produce documents using a word processor. by Belinda Doyle © 20I1 When Tomorrow Comes Post Office Box 3350 Joondalup, WA 6027 Australia Email: whentomorrowcomes@live.com When Tomorrow Comes Post Office Box 3350 Joondalup, WA 6027 Australia Email: NEXUS ¢ 35 by Belinda Doyle © 20I1 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2011 www.nexusmagazine.com