Scientists have been working on a brain translation machine that would possibly allow thought-to-speech possible.  Of course, this means that in the future, we can possibly keep the brain alive even if the human body is dead, sorta like science fiction.

By implanting an electrode into the brain of a person with locked-in syndrome, scientists have demonstrated how to wirelessly transmit neural signals to a speech synthesizer. The “thought-to-speech” process takes about 50 milliseconds – the same amount of time for a non-paralyzed, neurologically intact person to speak their thoughts. The study marks the first successful demonstration of a permanently installed, wireless implant for real-time control of an external device.

I have to like this idea but I think neural decoding will probably take another 10-20 years before the technology can be used effectively.

Although the current study focused only on producing a small set of vowels, the researchers think that consonant sounds could be achieved with improvements to the system. While this study used a single three-wire electrode, the use of additional electrodes at multiple recording sites, as well as improved decoding techniques, could lead to rapid, accurate control of a speech synthesizer that could generate a wide range of sounds.

Very interesting indeed.

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