Event 2: Brainstorming

On the Friday, May 5, I attended a Brainstorming Session at California Nanosystems Institute. Before I attended this activity, I did not know what is this activity about. This activity is in a little room with a table. After a read the instruction, I know that brainstorming is a series of work that explore the possibilities of brain to brain communication.

            For almost a century, people already can detect the rhythmic electrical signals on the surface of the head, called EEG (electroencephalogram). Brainwaves is a common name that people called. Brainwaves were observed first by Berger in the late 1920’s. He pointed out that the electrical signals from head can be transmitted like radio, which allow people can share each other’s thoughts. The discovery of the EEG was a great improvement in clinical medicine. Doctors can use EEG to detect the diseases about brain.

            For the Brainstorming activity, professor Victoria Vesna is trying to let people communicate with each other without talking, just brain to brain, which is cool. In order to communicate with each other, two people will wear the brainwave – reading headpieces. The helmet is extremely cute, and it looks like an octopus. The head of octopus is the helmet, and the tails attach to each other to communicate. The helmet can detect the brainwaves and transfer them to different colors and sounds, also, different frequency of brainwaves has different colors. Based on the colors and sound, these two people can communicate with each other without talking. These special helmets were created by Vesna and Cohen.

            I like this Brainstorming activity, and I think this activity is really interesting. It is a good combination of art and science. The detection of brainwave is part of science, and to transfer those colors to language need some imaginations. For me, I am a biology major student, EEG is familiar to me, however, before this activity, I only had the sense that EEG can help people to detect the disease. After this activity, I have a new cognition to EEG, and I also have the idea that EEG can be used to communicate. This is important for people, not only for science and art. If this program can be used universal, it will bring so much convenience for the whole human race, especially for deaf. The can communicate without any obstacles. For now, this program can be only used in two people, not in the group, and professor Vesna also said their goal was that this program can be used in the whole group, not only two people. However, in my opinion, there are some difficulties that to be solved if it is used in the group. The most difficult one is to distinguish who is the person talking to. If within two people, it is very easy to tell, however if within more than three people, it is hard to distinguish. Also, one thing I am consider is that how to determine the motion based on the frequency of brainwaves. For example, if people feel excited, the frequency of brainwave will be higher; however, if people get angry, the frequency of brainwave also will be high.

            Although there are still some difficulties to be solved, I still appreciate this activity, because it gives me a new idea about EEG. I know that EEG can be used in communication, not only in detection of diseases.