View From the Phlipside - Mind Games

My name is Jay Phillippi and I've spent my life in and around the media.  TV, Radio, the Movies and more.  I love them and I hate them and I always have an opinion.  Call this the View From the Phlipside.


If you think about it we live in rather amazing times.  Beyond instant communications with computers and cell phones, we have cars that park themselves (I still don’t have any idea how that works but apparently it does), ATMS that can read checks and toll booths that collect your fees on the interstate without even stopping.  But all of that may pale completely with what may be coming next in the gaming world.  How about playing your games using only...your mind?


It comes from a company in California called NeuroSky Brain-Computer Interface Technologies.  Last year they began selling their technology to companies like Mattel.  The bit in question is called “Mindflex” a headset with a small sensor that reads brain waves looking for patterns.  Those patterns are then used to have effect on the games being played.  At the moment it’s mostly simple things.  For example there’s a game where you direct blasts of air at a small foam ball, all controlled by your mind.  NeuroSky has also come up with a video game where you can light objects on fire on the screen by concentrating or make them float by relaxing.   Obviously as they continue to work on the technology more and more could be done with it.  I can hear the World of Warcraft and other first person shooter games salivating at the very thought.  


But what’s really cool is that the exact same technology offers many more serious and amazing possibilities.  Beginning with issues like memory loss and anger management it may also lead to advances with prosthetics for people who have lost limbs.  Imagine actually being able to connect the new limbs to the brain!  I will admit that some of what’s being discussed sounds a bit scary to me as well.  Eventually they believe that they will be able to plant the sensor directly into the brain.  I’ve watched enough science fiction movies to be worried about that.


I’d be happy enough if I could just play my Tiger Woods golf game entirely with my mind.


Call that the View From the Phlipside.



"The View From the Phlipside" airs on WRFA-LP Jamestown NY.  You can listen to WRFA online HERE
Copyright - Jay Phillippi 2010