An MRI that can predict word associations. Cool.
Scientists are using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques to predict how people respond to certain words.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh were able to use MRI scans to prove a 72 per cent accuracy rate in predicting which verbs the brain would associate with a given noun.
The computer based system monitors blood flow patterns in the brain which allows them to forecast the response to around 60 nouns associated with senses, including sight, touch, taste or smell.
The results of a study published in the journal Science.
“Nobody had previously even tried to build a theory or computational model that would predict neural activity for arbitrary words,” said co-author of the study Tom Mitchell, from the university’s computer science’s machine learning department.
Researchers are hoping to use this technique to gain a better understanding of medical conditions such as autism or schizophrenia.
Can we read your mind?
We’ve got some Solitaire games on our website that will read your mind. Well not really “read” like this MRI machine, but the games track your Solitaire play and rate your winning ability. Maybe even nudge you to win more often.
