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-- Scientists Successfully ‘Hack’ Brain To Obtain Private Data « CBS SeattleScientists Successfully Hack Brain To Obtain Private Data
By Peter V. Milo
August 25, 2012 1:56 AM
BERKELEY, Calif. (CBS Seattle) It sounds like something out of the movie Johnny Mnemonic, but scientists have successfully been able to hack a brain with a device thats easily available on the open market.
Researchers from the University of California and University of Oxford in Geneva figured out a way to pluck sensitive information from a persons head, such as PIN numbers and bank information.
The scientists took an off-the-shelf Emotiv brain-computer interface, a device that costs around $299, which allows users to interact with their computers by thought.
The scientists then sat their subjects in front of a computer screen and showed them images of banks, people, and PIN numbers. They then tracked the readings coming off of the brain, specifically the P300 signal.
The P300 signal is typically given off when a person recognizes something meaningful, such as someone or something they interact with on a regular basis.
Scientists that conducted the experiment found they could reduce the randomness of the images by 15 to 40 percent, giving them a better chance of guessing the correct answer.
Another interesting facet about the experiments is how the P300 signal could be read for lie detection.
In the paper that the scientists released, they state that the P300 can be used as a discriminative feature in detecting whether or not the relevant information is stored in the subjects memory.
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Fascinating.
The good news for libs: it can't read your mind. Brains are required.