While I was gone...

Here are a few stories worth noting from the last few weeks along with some random ramblings.

Now you see it, now you don't (remember)!
First, I'm watching a really interesting piece from 60 minutes on how flawed eyewitness testimony can be. What's most interesting is the way that psychologists can alter the report of an eyewitness in a predictable manner. To sum up one technique, present two faces that are similar to the perpetrator, present the previously chosen face and another that is very different, present the reaffirmed face and the perpetrator. These little psychological tricks provide important clues to the inner workings of memory and an important bridge between experimental and applied psychology. Whether they will be equally useful for neuroscience, we'll have to wait and see. Think of these types of stories as similar to the barrage of visual illusions you would see in an intro to neuroscience course (like these). Part 1 sets up the case, Part 2 is where it gets interesting (those pressed for time can skip to part 2).

Eat it ASIMO!
Toyota has been trumpeting the creation of a noninvasive BCI (EEG) for controlling a wheelchair. Basically, it sounds like a 3 state decoder (forward, left, right), with an emergency stop signal (the user puffs out their cheek). Usually this isn't too exciting (like that Honda media circus the previous month), but the 125ms lag is actually pretty good for EEG. Worth looking into more for those even slightly interested in EEG based systems.

Mendeley-he-hoo!
v0.9 (and now v0.9.1 which fixes a problem with PDF linking), is now available. PDF reader with annotation tools, more control over syncing collections, and a bunch of other features. Go get em, tiger!

Alright, more substance

A few quick links on actual brain, robotics, AI, BCI type stuff... (I know, how novel.)

Neat-o-rama has a post on brain controlled cell phones. Okay, it's more like an application from Neurosky that happens to run on a cell phone, but to the media it's all the same. Only problem is, and funny that the story should break today, there appears to be a part of the brain that shuts off when you sent a text message. Yeah, I'm buying it. Let's look at the study... awww it's some test center without any real review process. Is this some type of complete hoax? They say that the "ratio communis" shuts off. WTF is the ratio communis? AFAIK, there's no such area of the brain. It translates from Latin to the "system common", or "commonsense". Feh. When they have to make up brain regions to explain poorly controlled results, I tend to not pay much attention.

DIY biohacking. Nothing like gene therapy from a back alley geneticist!

And ascribing human intellect to the performer of an observed strategy over at Mind Hacks. Nice experiment, worth the read.