While the chaos of the election pushes on and the MSM continues to bow down to The One, 60 Minutes takes a moment to give hope to the community of the disabled. And what an astounding moment of inspiration this is for us.Correspondent Scott Pelley reports:
Scott Mackler, husband, father, successful neuroscientist at the age of 40 discovered he had ALS, Lou Gehrigs Disease. His brain was losing connection to virtually every muscle in his body.Human beings operating computers, writing emails, and driving wheelchairs with nothing but their thoughts. Quietly in a number of laboratories, an astounding technology is developing that directly connects the human brain to a computer.
Today his mind is sharp as ever but his body has failed. Doctors call it locked-in syndrome. He had no other way to communicate but through his eyes. He would look at you for "yes" and away from you for "no."
But recently Scott found a 'new voice'. Scott wrote these words one letter at a time with nothing but his thoughts and whats called a Brain Computer Interface (BCI), developed by neuroscientist Dr. Jonathan Wolpaw at New York State's Wadsworth Center.
Mackler wears a cap that picks up the electrical activity of his brain and allows him to select letters simply by thinking about them. Then the computer turns his sentences into speech.
Harnessing The Power Of The Brain
This is an absolutely amazing discovery for the disabled and mentally challenged. To have discovered a way to tap into the brain to manifest it's thoughts onto the screen of a computer is phenomenal. I don't even know if my daughter would be qualified for this incredible discovery. But this discovery is capable of taking orders from your thoughts to do the most simplest of tasks as moving the cursor on a computer. By learning through cause and effect, the possibilities for my daughter could open one small door for her. There's always hope.
In the words of Chris Matthews, "I (seriously) feel this thrill going up my leg."
This is an absolutely amazing discovery for the disabled and mentally challenged. To have discovered a way to tap into the brain to manifest it's thoughts onto the screen of a computer is phenomenal. I don't even know if my daughter would be qualified for this incredible discovery. But this discovery is capable of taking orders from your thoughts to do the most simplest of tasks as moving the cursor on a computer. By learning through cause and effect, the possibilities for my daughter could open one small door for her. There's always hope.
In the words of Chris Matthews, "I (seriously) feel this thrill going up my leg."
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