New video of how scientists reconstruct the movies in our minds
UC Berkeley scientists Jack Gallant and Shinji Nishimoto have wowed the world by using brain scans and computer modeling to reconstruct images of what we see when we're watching movies. UC Berkeley broadcast manager Roxanne Makasdjian has produced a video of how they achieved this breakthrough, and where they're headed.
December 21, 2011
UC Berkeley scientists Jack Gallant and Shinji Nishimoto wowed the world earlier this fall when they reconstructed what was happening in the brain’s visual cortex as people watched movie clips. Now you can watch it yourself in this new video of their work.
The researchers recorded brain activity as people viewed film clips and used the data to create a computer program that acts as a dictionary for translating brain activity back into moving images. Using the new computer model with data from subjects’ brain scans, they were able to reconstruct the moving images people viewed.
Eventually, researchers say, the technology could help severely incapacitated patients communicate. It may also lay the groundwork for brain-machine devices that would allow people to guide computers with their minds.
The full story can be found at news.berkeley.edu/2011/09/22/brain-movies.
Gallant explains his vision reconstruction research on PBS NewsHour on Jan. 2, 2012