Stanford neuroscientist: ‘We’re now able to eavesdrop on the brain in real life’

Stanford neuroscientist: ‘We’re now able to eavesdrop on the brain in real life’

on December 8, 2013



Reuters / Denis Balibouse / filesNeuroscientists at Stanford University have made a major breakthrough with regards to how the human brain engages in quantitative thought, and some say it’s opening the door for being able to someday eavesdrop on the mind’s inner-workings.



 

 
 
A team at Stanford’s School of Medicine had their findings published this week in the journal Nature Communications, and their eye-catching result is being considered a big step to understanding how the brain operates, specifically in terms of numbers.


After monitoring the brain waves of three seizure patients, the scientists determined that a particular part of the mind became active when the subjects were asked to solve mathematical equations, but also when quantitative terms — such as “more than” or “an extra little bit” — were spoken during routine discussions.


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