Technabob » ucla

Here Come the Thought Police: Fmri and Mindreading Studies

Alisha K. — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 11:00:15 +0000

Science is now a little bit closer to revealing the true you, thanks to research from Rutgers and UCLA researches on fMRIs, or functional MRIs. Can these brainscans read your thoughts? Not quite, but nosy scientists can get a general idea more than half the time!

The researches scanned the brains of 130 volunteers as they were performing one of eight tasks in the experiment. Tasks ranged from pressing buttons to discussing rhyming pairs, and using the fMRI technology, the researchers were able to correctly guess which brain was performing which task 80% of the time. Sorry, guys. Your cheerleader fantasies may not remain a secret forever.

True mindreading is of course not possible (yet) with the technology, but it sure looks like things are headed in that direction!

[via MedGadget]

Clock-a-Doodle-Doo: Time Telling Magna Doodle Hack

Technabob — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 12:00:54 +0000

This unique electromechanical clock is like a cross between a Magna Doodle and an Etch-a-Sketch.

Using a modified Magna Doodle as the basis for their display, the Clock-a-Doodle-Doo is the brainchild of a recent UCLA mechanical engineering class.

The clock uses a XY plotter-like mechanism to “draw” the current time by neatly arranging the magnetic particles with a mechanical pen. When it’s ready to change time, another mechanism pulls the “eraser” mechanism to release the particles and clear the magnetophoretic display. Each minute, it does the whole thing all over again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Ever wonder how a Magna Doodle really works? HowStuffWorks has deconstructed the gory innards of the mysterious magnetic device for your personal enrichment.