health informatics

August 31, 2004

HCI (human computer interaction) or MMI (man machine interface)
Mood:

smelly
How can we get data directly into the brain?

Just created this web log to give vent to some of my frustration at times of stress and hopefully harvest some ideas/energy from that.

The MMI field is new and old. Since the time we threw our first stone weapon to hunt for food 10k years ago we have started interacting. The difference in 2004 is machines are capable of intelligence. As compared to human brain (millions of years old) computers are still in the single cell stage. As the human brain has evolved it has nicely adapted itself to the changing environs. Brain senses five main inputs - light(vision), sound(hearing), chemical molecules in gas form (smell), taste (chemical molecules in liquid form) and touch (basic sensor input).

Light is perceived as presence/absence, tone, brighness and colour (frequency).

Data-information-knowledge that is how processing occurs.

If the data is exploding in size will the brain evolve to process this or just selectively filter the info and use it? We sense the world by vision (light), hearing (sound), smell (chemicals as gas), taste (chemicals as liquid) and touch (attributes of objects such as temperature, dimensions in 3D, size, etc.).

Predominantly vision is used to input data. Modern machines are using sight, hearing and some smell to present data.

Is the sensory end organs' data processing necessary for it to travel to the brain? Cochlear implants prove that it is not so. Can we improve the efficiency of data acquisition? Does the brain work better when cooled (as PCs do)? How does the brain learn? What is memory? Can we write and read from memory directly into the brain? Is magnetism a way to reach the brain non invasively and interact with it?

Is it possible to directly read/write to the human brain? Vision is the primary means of inputting data now. In ancient times hearing was the main means of data acquisition (in India). What is memory? What is the real world like when not interpretted through a human brain? Is the perception affecting our basic laws of science? Einsteins theory of relativity says time is relative to the observer. Is sense also relative to the observer?

Posted by in/drprabhu at 06:42 BST
Updated: August 31, 2004 17:20 BST
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August 31, 2004 - 09:19 BST

Name: marcus

Hello saar,
Great stuff u have initiated,especially since i am currently riding the peak of such topics n understanding.
The 'INTERFACE" is the stuff we need to put our finger on and it can get quite elusive.When we had the last chance opportunity to discuss this common interest of ours,we ended up discussing the current approach of modern medicine in GENERAL to approach cure and disease from a purely objective and material manner.
Lets talk about the INTERFACE.Once we enter the realm of brain and thought,the 5 senses (physical) will be found to be limiting to explain brain function.This is becoz the interaction of the physical brain with its environment is thru intelligence.This is where we need to focus bcoz the lines can become blurred.It will be hard to separate the physical brain alone to study it.The function factors that drive the brain can be expected to come from a source outside of brain -intelligence.The way such interactions take place can encompass a wide variety of subjects,including the theory of reality,time ,space,and even such ethereal subjects as intention,hope,emotion,etc.Here we need to consider so much of psychology too.Jung's collective soul,archetypes or heisenbergs uncertainty principle.Will write more....

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December 2, 2004 - 18:23 GMT

Name: thanga

marc,
get going man, drive on gear 4, why the hesitation? So you think we dont know anything about the brain! We are just uncovering all the secrets of the brain. Did you know Einstein had a brain of normal size, but it had a lot more wrinkles. So try and increase the wrinkles in all those places where it matters...

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