full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Tan Le: A headset that reads your brainwaves

Unscramble the Blue Letters

Well, it sounds like a pretty good idea, but this task, as Bruno mentioned, isn't an easy one for two main reasons: First, the detection algorithms. Our brain is made up of binlilos of avitce neurons, around 170,000 km of combined axon length. When these neurons iaercntt, the chemical rtcoeain emits an electrical impulse, which can be measured. The majority of our functional brain is dtuiitbersd over the outer surface layer of the brain, and to increase the area that's available for mental capacity, the brain surface is hlhigy folded. Now this crtciaol folding presents a significant challenge for interpreting surface electrical impulses. Each individual's cortex is folded differently, very much like a fniepgrrint. So even though a singal may come from the same functional part of the brain, by the time the structure has been folded, its paisyhcl location is very different between individuals, even identical twins. There is no longer any consistency in the surface slganis.

Open Cloze

Well, it sounds like a pretty good idea, but this task, as Bruno mentioned, isn't an easy one for two main reasons: First, the detection algorithms. Our brain is made up of ________ of ______ neurons, around 170,000 km of combined axon length. When these neurons ________, the chemical ________ emits an electrical impulse, which can be measured. The majority of our functional brain is ___________ over the outer surface layer of the brain, and to increase the area that's available for mental capacity, the brain surface is ______ folded. Now this ________ folding presents a significant challenge for interpreting surface electrical impulses. Each individual's cortex is folded differently, very much like a ___________. So even though a ______ may come from the same functional part of the brain, by the time the structure has been folded, its ________ location is very different between individuals, even identical twins. There is no longer any consistency in the surface _______.

Solution

  1. distributed
  2. signal
  3. signals
  4. reaction
  5. active
  6. highly
  7. fingerprint
  8. cortical
  9. physical
  10. interact
  11. billions

Original Text

Well, it sounds like a pretty good idea, but this task, as Bruno mentioned, isn't an easy one for two main reasons: First, the detection algorithms. Our brain is made up of billions of active neurons, around 170,000 km of combined axon length. When these neurons interact, the chemical reaction emits an electrical impulse, which can be measured. The majority of our functional brain is distributed over the outer surface layer of the brain, and to increase the area that's available for mental capacity, the brain surface is highly folded. Now this cortical folding presents a significant challenge for interpreting surface electrical impulses. Each individual's cortex is folded differently, very much like a fingerprint. So even though a signal may come from the same functional part of the brain, by the time the structure has been folded, its physical location is very different between individuals, even identical twins. There is no longer any consistency in the surface signals.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
facial expressions 4
emotional experiences 2
detection algorithms 2
conductive gel 2
good job 2

Important Words

  1. active
  2. algorithms
  3. area
  4. axon
  5. billions
  6. brain
  7. bruno
  8. capacity
  9. challenge
  10. chemical
  11. combined
  12. consistency
  13. cortex
  14. cortical
  15. detection
  16. differently
  17. distributed
  18. easy
  19. electrical
  20. emits
  21. fingerprint
  22. folded
  23. folding
  24. functional
  25. good
  26. highly
  27. idea
  28. identical
  29. impulse
  30. impulses
  31. increase
  32. individuals
  33. interact
  34. interpreting
  35. km
  36. layer
  37. length
  38. location
  39. longer
  40. main
  41. majority
  42. measured
  43. mental
  44. mentioned
  45. neurons
  46. outer
  47. part
  48. physical
  49. presents
  50. pretty
  51. reaction
  52. signal
  53. signals
  54. significant
  55. sounds
  56. structure
  57. surface
  58. task
  59. time
  60. twins