4 ms·

You could say this about any moonshot project no matter how likely it is to deliver on its promises. It's an empty statement.

orenlindsey 3y ago
Think about it though, the ability to control a computer from your brain would be incredible. It's what UI development is constantly pushing towards - to be as close as possible to mind reading. This would literally be mind reading.
- outworlder 3y ago
  > This would literally be mind reading. It would, if it works, one day.
- derekp7 3y ago
  And that is what scares the living bejeebers out of me. How is it to differentiate from thoughts with intent behind them, vs random stray thoughts? Or intrusive thoughts? Have you ever gotten frustrated and the thought went through your head "I should just rm -rf everything" ? I really don't want the computer to carry that out just because that brilliant flash of insight went through my head.
  - kaashif 3y ago
    How can your body distinguish between you thinking about moving your arm and you moving your arm?
    - Aerroon 3y ago
      Or thinking quietly in your head, 'thinking out loud' in your head, and actually vocalizing out loud. This is (partly?) learned behavior. Children under the age of 5-6 will have audible self-directed speech, but eventually they learn to mute this and remove vocalization altogether.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - astrodust 3y ago
    It isn't able to delete your brain unless your brain is a bunch of files. These "augments" will likely be, at best, some kind of subsystem you can tap into, like an extra limb, or a memory you didn't know you had until you "recall" it.
    - derekp7 3y ago
      You misread my concern -- it has nothing to do with deleting your brain. My concern was if you are thinking an intentional thought "Write a letter to Gramma", and you had a passing thought of "Format and wipe my C: drive", I would hope the mind reading would distinguish between these two. Now if it is the same thought process as controlling a limb, well that sounds like the same mental energy needed to type out something on a keyboard or speaking commands, both of which happen at close to the same speed as thinking the words to begin with (well, talking definitely, typing within a high enough fraction for most proficient typists).
- timeon 3y ago
  > UI development is constantly pushing towards Somehow it still ends with pop-ups and dark patterns.
- astrodust 3y ago
  I read a lot of science fiction books where they discuss all kinds of stuff like this that is pure speculation. The only difference between those books and Elon's latest racket is that they are honest about the fact that they are fiction. Stop hyperventilating over this. There are serious research projects worth following that are far more likely to deliver useful technologies.
  - bobsmooth 3y ago
    Were electric cars and self-landing rockets in those sci-fi books?

orenlindsey 3y ago

Think about it though, the ability to control a computer from your brain would be incredible. It's what UI development is constantly pushing towards - to be as close as possible to mind reading. This would literally be mind reading.

outworlder 3y ago
> This would literally be mind reading. It would, if it works, one day.
derekp7 3y ago
And that is what scares the living bejeebers out of me. How is it to differentiate from thoughts with intent behind them, vs random stray thoughts? Or intrusive thoughts? Have you ever gotten frustrated and the thought went through your head "I should just rm -rf everything" ? I really don't want the computer to carry that out just because that brilliant flash of insight went through my head.
- kaashif 3y ago
  How can your body distinguish between you thinking about moving your arm and you moving your arm?
  - Aerroon 3y ago
    Or thinking quietly in your head, 'thinking out loud' in your head, and actually vocalizing out loud. This is (partly?) learned behavior. Children under the age of 5-6 will have audible self-directed speech, but eventually they learn to mute this and remove vocalization altogether.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- astrodust 3y ago
  It isn't able to delete your brain unless your brain is a bunch of files. These "augments" will likely be, at best, some kind of subsystem you can tap into, like an extra limb, or a memory you didn't know you had until you "recall" it.
  - derekp7 3y ago
    You misread my concern -- it has nothing to do with deleting your brain. My concern was if you are thinking an intentional thought "Write a letter to Gramma", and you had a passing thought of "Format and wipe my C: drive", I would hope the mind reading would distinguish between these two. Now if it is the same thought process as controlling a limb, well that sounds like the same mental energy needed to type out something on a keyboard or speaking commands, both of which happen at close to the same speed as thinking the words to begin with (well, talking definitely, typing within a high enough fraction for most proficient typists).
timeon 3y ago
> UI development is constantly pushing towards Somehow it still ends with pop-ups and dark patterns.
astrodust 3y ago
I read a lot of science fiction books where they discuss all kinds of stuff like this that is pure speculation. The only difference between those books and Elon's latest racket is that they are honest about the fact that they are fiction. Stop hyperventilating over this. There are serious research projects worth following that are far more likely to deliver useful technologies.
- bobsmooth 3y ago
  Were electric cars and self-landing rockets in those sci-fi books?