How Far Away is a Hand-Held Computerized Mind-Reader?

[Maria]

Computers can read our thoughts?

As I lay in the fMRI, I saw 20 images on the screen (of a strawberry, skyscraper, cave, and so on). I was instructed to imagine the qualities of each object. The computer would try to figure out, from every two objects, the sequence of the two images I had just seen (whether strawberry had come before skyscraper, for example). It got them 100 percent right.

Please click the link below for the full story.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... S_20121124

Oh my, must we learn to think politically correct if we want to keep our jobs and checks coming?
:shock:
fMRI machines are huge, and hand held mind-reading gadgets are not available just yet, but soon they might be in a galaxy near by.

What about privacy and ethical considerations?

[Maria]

...

[Matthew]

I think there is nothing to worry about with such devices. They were using visual images. These things are simple thoughts and probably use specific regions of the brain and at a low level of complexity, facilitating "reading" of the subject under the scanning device. Abstract thoughts, those separating someone who is pro-choice (pro-murder) or pro-life, cannot be detected by such a device. Far more effective is their surveillance system of cameras, drones, satellites, internet hacking and spying, and so forth, are what they will use to ferret us out and arrest and execute us. Just like the Soviet God-haters.