Keep distraction at bay

• Autores: Hal Hodson
• Localización: New scientist, ISSN 0262-4079, Nº. 2905, 2013, pág. 19
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Hodson talks about a device that reads people's mind that could block out excess information, helping them to concentrate. Evan Peck and his colleagues at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, want to give computers the ability to directly monitor their brain as they work, responding to their needs in real time. In other words, it will act as a filter, letting through information when they want it while keeping the rest at bay. The system utilizes a headset that beams infrared light from emitters on a user's forehead into their prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain associated with planning and decision-making. Some of the light is absorbed by oxygenated hemoglobin, some by the deoxygenated version of the molecule, and some is reflected back out. By measuring the amount of light reaching receivers on the forehead, the system can tell when a user is concentrating intently or not mentally engaged. Matching the readings to what a user is looking at on a screen allows the system to determine what is useful info and what is getting in the way.