用思维控制机器未来.docxVIP

Using thought to control machines用思维控制机器The next frontierPrint edition | LeadersJan 4th 2018Brain-computer interfaces may change what it means to be humanTECHNOLOGIES are often billed as transformative. For William Kochevar, the term is justified. Mr Kochevar is paralysed below the shoulders after a cycling accident, yet has managed to feed himself by his own hand. This remarkable feat is partly thanks to electrodes, implanted in his right arm, which stimulate muscles. But the real magic lies higher up. Mr Kochevar can control his arm using the power of thought. His intention to move is reflected in neural activity in his motor cortex; these signals are detected by implants in his brain and processed into commands to activate the electrodes in his arms.技术是变革性的。对于威廉·科谢瓦（William Kochevar）来说，这个说法再正确不过了。Kochevar先生由于一次骑自行车的事故导致肩膀以下瘫痪，然而他任然能够通过自己的手进食。能达到这一成就部分得益于植入右臂的刺激肌肉的电极。更加神奇的事情还在后面。 Kochevar先生可以通过意识控制他的手臂。他的动作意图在引起运动皮层的神经活动;从而被他的大脑中的植入物检测到，并被处理成命令以激活他手臂中的电极。An ability to decode thought in this way may sound like science fiction. But brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) like the BrainGate system used by Mr Kochevar provide evidence that mind-control can work. Researchers are able to tell what words and images people have heard and seen from neural activity alone. Information can also be encoded and used to stimulate the brain. Over 300,000 people have cochlear implants, which help them to hear by converting sound into electrical signals and sending them into the brain. Scientists have “injected” data into monkeys’ heads, instructing them to perform actions via electrical pulses.以这种方式解码意识可能听起来像科幻小说。但是像Kochevar先生所使用的BrainGate系统这样的脑机接口（BCI）提供了能够进行精神控制的证据。研究人员能够从单独的神经活动中判别人们听到和看到的是什么词汇和图像。外部信息也可以编码成为用于刺激大脑的电信号。超过30万人使用人工耳蜗植入，通过将声音转换成电信号并将其发送到大脑中来帮助他们听到声音。科学家已经将数据“注射”入猴子的大脑，通过电脉冲刺激大脑指示他们来行动。As our Technology Quarterly in this issue explains, the pace of research into BCIs and the scale of its ambition are increasing. Both America’s armed forces and Silicon Valley are starting