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
- distributed
- signal
- signals
- reaction
- active
- highly
- fingerprint
- cortical
- physical
- interact
- 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
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Important Words
- active
- algorithms
- area
- axon
- billions
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- bruno
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- functional
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- impulse
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- increase
- individuals
- interact
- interpreting
- km
- layer
- length
- location
- longer
- main
- majority
- measured
- mental
- mentioned
- neurons
- outer
- part
- physical
- presents
- pretty
- reaction
- signal
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- task
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- twins