Assignment 001 - Mind Control Technology

Write a 300 - 500 word article that tells the audience about a recent multimedia technology that is being or has been developed in the last six months and explain what you think the impact of this technology will have upon society.

I’ve recently been wondering... ‘How cool would it be if I could use my brain to control a game character, like Halo's Master Chief, to throw a grenade into a group of brain eating zombies whilst taking out a large vehicle with a massive bazooka?’ Whilst looking up ‘thought control’, ‘mind control’ and ‘how to take over the world in 80 days’ on Google, I came across an article _[1] that hinted at Nintendo having the same idea as me. What more could you ask for? Well, could movements and emotions be processed through the same character? If so, this would be the very last hurdle in communication via text or messaging – Emotion in context. Your character smiles when you smile.

So where has this mind control technology come from? Mind control has been the next step in interactive technology after touch screen technology. Being able to manipulate objects with multiple fingers was one thing, but being able to manipulate and interact with objects using your mind is another kettle of fish! Today, touch screens can only be developed to be more accurate when pointing on a screen, or more sensitive to pressure being applied. However, by using mind control it opens up a whole new world in the development of interactive technology. Not only would using mind control technology impact society in a positive way, it could also have a negative impact.

With all new technologies questions arise - How expensive will it be? Will it run with Vista? Can I use it as a TV remote too? But these questions are all irrelevant. The real question is – ‘I control it, but can it control me?’ In answer to this question many Police forces and other law-enforcement agencies have shown an interest in using mind reading technology to replace lie-detector tests _[2]. This is proof that mind control technology could be used against its user.

Now let’s look at the brighter side of mind control technology - The positive impact it would have on society. Mind control would be a powerful tool when it comes to certain disabilities. Medical researchers believe that mind control technology could be used by patients to control the next generation of prosthetic limbs _[3], or to give stroke victims new ways to communicate. Patients would be able to use their minds to write sentences, draw pictures or even play games.

Now the conclusion - On one side, mind control technology could help thousands of patients across the world regain independence, bring a more realistic side to gaming and completely change the interactive world. But, there is also a darker side. Mind control technology, if in the wrong hands, could get messy.

I believe in a few years’ time, this technology will have a big impact on society as it will be continually developed and new ideas for its usage come into play. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be writing this article using mind control technology!

[1] http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/gadgets_and_gaming/article4354041.ece

[2] http://thoughtpolice.wordpress.com/category/mind-control/

[3] http://thefutureofthings.com/articles/1004/mind-controlled-bionic-limbs.html