list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Paycheck on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Paycheck/223891/default.aspx Title: Paycheck
Year: 2003
Director: John Woo
Plot: John Woo directs the sci-fi action thriller Paycheck, based on a story written by Philip K. Dick in 1953. Waking up with his short-term memory erased, engineer Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck) learns that he has been doing highly secretive work for the last three years in exchange for billions of dollars. But when he tries to get paid, he finds out that he himself had previously exchanged the money for an envelope of random clues to his life. Chased by an FBI agent (Michael C. Hall) and his old boss Rethrick (Aaron Eckhart), Michael uses the clues to find out his identity and prove his innocence. Uma Thurman appears as his love interest and partner, Rachel. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 30
Number of Lists: 24
Number of blog posts: 4
Number of discussion threads: 1
SpoutRating: 2
]]>Mon, 11 May 2009 00:56:07 GMTPaycheck2003John Woo<a href="/players/P___117248/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Woo</a> directs the sci-fi action thriller Paycheck, based on a story written by Philip K. Dick in 1953. Waking up with his short-term memory erased, engineer Michael Jennings (<a href="/players/P______426/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ben Affleck</a>) learns that he has been doing highly secretive work for the last three years in exchange for billions of dollars. But when he tries to get paid, he finds out that he himself had previously exchanged the money for an envelope of random clues to his life. Chased by an FBI agent (Michael C. Hall) and his old boss Rethrick (<a href="/players/P___223098/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Aaron Eckhart</a>), Michael uses the clues to find out his identity and prove his innocence. <a href="/players/P____70905/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Uma Thurman</a> appears as his love interest and partner, Rachel. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide30Tag Target (>10)24412http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t42440jftnp.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Paycheck/223891/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Polls/What_is_your_favorite_movie_based_on_or_inspired_b/657/41490/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Movie Polls
Post Date: 4/7/2009 2:53:17 PM
Body: Please reference this thread for the rules of this group. I'm seeing that there are actually several more movies based on Philip K. Dick works to be coming out just in the next couple year including what looks lik a biopic on his life staring Paul Giamatti as Dick called The Owl in Daylight. His works are certainly full of ideas, often sci-fi and psychological that attract filmmakers and story tellers. Please vote only once in each poll. Movies referenced in this poll:Blade RunnerConfessions d'un Barjo (Confessions of a Crap Artist)ImpostorMinority ReportNextPaycheckA Scanner DarklyScreamersTotal Recall
]]>Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:53:17 GMTRisseladaMovie Polls4/7/2009 2:53:17 PMPlease reference this thread for the rules of this group. I'm seeing that there are actually several more movies based on Philip K. Dick works to be coming out just in the next couple year including what looks lik a biopic on his life staring Paul Giamatti as Dick called The Owl in Daylight. His works are certainly full of ideas, often sci-fi and psychological that attract filmmakers and story tellers. Please vote only once in each poll. Movies referenced in this poll:Blade RunnerConfessions d'un Barjo (Confessions of a Crap Artist)ImpostorMinority ReportNextPaycheckA Scanner DarklyScreamersTotal Recall http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2007/10/3/20390.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Risselada Blog
Post Date: 10/3/2007 12:33:56 PM
Body: This blog entry is part of my “movie year countdown”. To read more about that check out my first Spout filmblog entry.Ying hung boon sik (A Better Tomorrow)I'm kind of fascinated by John Woo. I haven't even seen many of his movies, but I feel like I have a strong impressions. It seems like he was a master of action when he was working in the Hong Kong film industry. But then he started working in Hollywood, bringing all of his same techniques over in ways that just seem all the more silly and don't fit.Movies like Paycheck seem like he saw the story as just surroundings for his action sequences. When the action sequences had absolutely no relevance to the actual story which could have been interested if the director would have seemed to know what was going on or was invested.And then there is the fact that at the climax of nearly every single one of his movies there are shots of doves flying off. It's an interesting calling card, and the fact that he seems compelled to use it no matter what is fascinating to me. Even when it doesn't even fit and has gone beyond being melodramatic and ridiculous.What does this have to do with A Better Tomorrow? Well not that much since this seems to be the first movie that really catapulted his career into a new level of notoriety. I may not be entirely correct about this, but that was my impression. Anyways this movie doesn't even have any doves in it. But it does have a lot of action, and guns, and melodrama. I've also seen The Killer which also has a lot of action, and guns, and melodrama, and doves too.I find these Hong Kong movies amusing. But I have to ask myself. Is what Woo is doing in Hollywood any different than what he was doing in Hong Kong? Did the action and melodrama fit any more in the Hong Kong movies than the American movies? It's hard to say because I don't know Chinese culture that well and it's almost more fun to assume that things that seem absurd to me when watching a foreign film may just be part of the way of life for other people.Either way, I will admit his gun battles are pretty damn enthralling.Rating: 8/10
]]>Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:33:56 GMTRisseladaRisselada Blog10/3/2007 12:33:56 PMThis blog entry is part of my &ldquo;movie year countdown&rdquo;. To read more about that check out my first Spout filmblog entry.Ying hung boon sik (A Better Tomorrow)I&#39;m kind of fascinated by John Woo. I haven&#39;t even seen many of his movies, but I feel like I have a strong impressions. It seems like he was a master of action when he was working in the Hong Kong film industry. But then he started working in Hollywood, bringing all of his same techniques over in ways that just seem all the more silly and don&#39;t fit.Movies like Paycheck seem like he saw the story as just surroundings for his action sequences. When the action sequences had absolutely no relevance to the actual story which could have been interested if the director would have seemed to know what was going on or was invested.And then there is the fact that at the climax of nearly every single one of his movies there are shots of doves flying off. It&#39;s an interesting calling card, and the fact that he seems compelled to use it no matter what is fascinating to me. Even when it doesn&#39;t even fit and has gone beyond being melodramatic and ridiculous.What does this have to do with A Better Tomorrow? Well not that much since this seems to be the first movie that really catapulted his career into a new level of notoriety. I may not be entirely correct about this, but that was my impression. Anyways this movie doesn&#39;t even have any doves in it. But it does have a lot of action, and guns, and melodrama. I&#39;ve also seen The Killer which also has a lot of action, and guns, and melodrama, and doves too.I find these Hong Kong movies amusing. But I have to ask myself. Is what Woo is doing in Hollywood any different than what he was doing in Hong Kong? Did the action and melodrama fit any more in the Hong Kong movies than the American movies? It&#39;s hard to say because I don&#39;t know Chinese culture that well and it&#39;s almost more fun to assume that things that seem absurd to me when watching a foreign film may just be part of the way of life for other people.Either way, I will admit his gun battles are pretty damn enthralling.Rating: 8/10 http://www.spout.com/blogs/marymcilwain/archive/2007/7/13/13849.aspx Post By: marymcilwain
Post To: Dollar Video Curator
Post Date: 7/13/2007 4:00:21 PM
Body: Ever feel like your job may be killing you? Perhaps not (always) literally, but creatively; slowly sucking your soul, youth, and passion out of your left ear, leaving behind a hollow shell of a completely defeated, albeit, completely dedicated, robot? If so, you probably wake every day around 6:30 am, get your sour suit on, go to work, clock in, tune out, clock out, and return home to pickle what’s left of your brain in varying liquors, until it is time to reset the alarm clock. Well here are a couple of working-man heroes to break up your everyday boredom. In between poppin’ pills, pop these into the old VCR: The Firm, Paycheck It's a Double White Collar Crime on the rocks with a smooth jazz chaser. Drink it down!The FirmThe Curator has demonstrated in previous post that all of Tommy Cruise's projects contain the little-known "Stallion Clause." For those unfamiliar, "The Stallion Clause" is a footnote within any contract Cruise signs, that he is required to have at least one, but preferably more, scene in which he sprints, nostrils a-flarin', for the means of making an end that will be for the betterment of all in "the Film." Check it and see.Based on the book that catapulted John Grisham’s 400 page door stoppers to the top of airport bookstore shelves everywhere, The Firm does not disappoint Cruise fans, whoever they may be, containing no less than three Stallions, one hot and heavy love scene and a couple of "goodie two shoes" lovey moments with the otherwise not so wholesome Jeanne Tripplehorn. Everyman Mitch McDeere appears to have it made when he gets the job of his dreams, at last able to ditch his trailer park past, provide his “lovely” wife Abby with all she desires, and cementing his future in the upper echelons of the solidly reputable Memphis high society. Unfortunately the “Firm” has another role in mind for Mitch, that of “Mob Stooge.” Yes, for unexplainable reasons, the Chicago mob retains a small law firm in Memphis. And apparently the partners traverse the world in search of an army of replacements to ensure the cycle is perpetuated. Well, Tom is not about to have any of that noise. Bucking the bosses, Tommy will race his way to freedom, through Memphis streets with briefcase in hand, finally putting Wilford Brimley out of our misery, getting all these White Collar Mo-Fos behind bars without ever compromising his professional integrity, and all the while helping to create the world’s most perfectly matched hick-i-fied couple, Holly Hunter and David Strathairn. Sigh. PaycheckBen Affleck gets his jog on proper here, pitted against the outstanding Aaron Eckhart and joined by ever-mild Uma Thurman. Though your disbelief is initially stretched to the point of serious snap by first having to accept Ben Affleck as some kind of computer programming genius, comfort level is restored once realization sets in that you will not be required to watch him suffer and sweat through too many electronic related explanations. Michael Jennings is a computer hacker extraordinaire, highly in demand to rip off patented computer technology because of his willingness to have any memory of his work therein erased. (Insert “Ben Affleck” and “Dumber than a Bag of Hammers” joke here) But he really gets screwed when he takes a job with Aaron Eckhart, his supposed friend, who uses him to build an Uber-Magic 8 Ball future time viewing machine of sorts, and then tries to “erase him” along with his memory of the project. Ben wakes up from his erased past and finds he has traded in his 90 million dollar paycheck for an envelope full of mysterious and crappy items. Why ever would he DO such a think you ask? Well, because there’s a mystery to solve for one! And said crappy items provide a treasure map of sorts with which Ben may play, while racing on foot, motorcycle, bus and train, through the streets of Seattle in hot pursuit of the past/future/present. Will he stop the baddies? Get the girl? Ever reclaim his lost paycheck? All signs point to “Formulaic Hollywood Ending.” Conclusion: Take heart that your boss isn’t trying to kill you. At least, as far as you know. Originally posted on:Dollar Video Curator
]]>Fri, 13 Jul 2007 20:00:21 GMTmarymcilwainDollar Video Curator7/13/2007 4:00:21 PMEver feel like your job may be killing you? Perhaps not (always) literally, but creatively; slowly sucking your soul, youth, and passion out of your left ear, leaving behind a hollow shell of a completely defeated, albeit, completely dedicated, robot? If so, you probably wake every day around 6:30 am, get your sour suit on, go to work, clock in, tune out, clock out, and return home to pickle what’s left of your brain in varying liquors, until it is time to reset the alarm clock. Well here are a couple of working-man heroes to break up your everyday boredom. In between poppin’ pills, pop these into the old VCR: The Firm, Paycheck It's a Double White Collar Crime on the rocks with a smooth jazz chaser. Drink it down!The FirmThe Curator has demonstrated in previous post that all of Tommy Cruise's projects contain the little-known "Stallion Clause." For those unfamiliar, "The Stallion Clause" is a footnote within any contract Cruise signs, that he is required to have at least one, but preferably more, scene in which he sprints, nostrils a-flarin', for the means of making an end that will be for the betterment of all in "the Film." Check it and see.Based on the book that catapulted John Grisham’s 400 page door stoppers to the top of airport bookstore shelves everywhere, The Firm does not disappoint Cruise fans, whoever they may be, containing no less than three Stallions, one hot and heavy love scene and a couple of "goodie two shoes" lovey moments with the otherwise not so wholesome Jeanne Tripplehorn. Everyman Mitch McDeere appears to have it made when he gets the job of his dreams, at last able to ditch his trailer park past, provide his “lovely” wife Abby with all she desires, and cementing his future in the upper echelons of the solidly reputable Memphis high society. Unfortunately the “Firm” has another role in mind for Mitch, that of “Mob Stooge.” Yes, for unexplainable reasons, the Chicago mob retains a small law firm in Memphis. And apparently the partners traverse the world in search of an army of replacements to ensure the cycle is perpetuated. Well, Tom is not about to have any of that noise. Bucking the bosses, Tommy will race his way to freedom, through Memphis streets with briefcase in hand, finally putting Wilford Brimley out of our misery, getting all these White Collar Mo-Fos behind bars without ever compromising his professional integrity, and all the while helping to create the world’s most perfectly matched hick-i-fied couple, Holly Hunter and David Strathairn. Sigh. PaycheckBen Affleck gets his jog on proper here, pitted against the outstanding Aaron Eckhart and joined by ever-mild Uma Thurman. Though your disbelief is initially stretched to the point of serious snap by first having to accept Ben Affleck as some kind of computer programming genius, comfort level is restored once realization sets in that you will not be required to watch him suffer and sweat through too many electronic related explanations. Michael Jennings is a computer hacker extraordinaire, highly in demand to rip off patented computer technology because of his willingness to have any memory of his work therein erased. (Insert “Ben Affleck” and “Dumber than a Bag of Hammers” joke here) But he really gets screwed when he takes a job with Aaron Eckhart, his supposed friend, who uses him to build an Uber-Magic 8 Ball future time viewing machine of sorts, and then tries to “erase him” along with his memory of the project. Ben wakes up from his erased past and finds he has traded in his 90 million dollar paycheck for an envelope full of mysterious and crappy items. Why ever would he DO such a think you ask? Well, because there’s a mystery to solve for one! And said crappy items provide a treasure map of sorts with which Ben may play, while racing on foot, motorcycle, bus and train, through the streets of Seattle in hot pursuit of the past/future/present. Will he stop the baddies? Get the girl? Ever reclaim his lost paycheck? All signs point to “Formulaic Hollywood Ending.” Conclusion: Take heart that your boss isn’t trying to kill you. At least, as far as you know. Originally posted on:Dollar Video Curator http://www.spout.com/blogs/marymcilwain/archive/2007/6/26/12276.aspx Post By: marymcilwain
Post To: Dollar Video Curator
Post Date: 6/26/2007 6:35:34 PM
Body: Ever feel like your job may be killing you? Perhaps not (always) literally, but creatively; slowly sucking your soul, youth, and passion out of your left ear, leaving behind a hollow shell of a completely defeated, albeit, completely dedicated, robot? If so, you probably wake every day around 6:30 am, get your sour suit on, go to work, clock in, tune out, clock out, and return home to pickle what’s left of your brain in varying liquors, until it is time to reset the alarm clock. Well here are a couple of working-man heroes to break up your everyday boredom. In between poppin’ pills, pop these into the old VCR: The Firm, Paycheck It's a Double White Collar Crime on the rocks with a smooth jazz chaser. Drink it down!The FirmThe Curator has demonstrated in previous post that all of Tommy Cruise's projects contain the little-known "Stallion Clause." For those unfamiliar, "The Stallion Clause" is a footnote within any contract Cruise signs, that he is required to have at least one, but preferably more, scene in which he sprints, nostrils a-flarin', for the means of making an end that will be for the betterment of all in "the Film." Check it and see.Based on the book that catapulted John Grisham’s 400 page door stoppers to the top of airport bookstore shelves everywhere, The Firm does not disappoint Cruise fans, whoever they may be, containing no less than three Stallions, one hot and heavy love scene and a couple of "goodie two shoes" lovey moments with the otherwise not so wholesome Jeanne Tripplehorn. Everyman Mitch McDeere appears to have it made when he gets the job of his dreams, at last able to ditch his trailer park past, provide his “lovely” wife Abby with all she desires, and cementing his future in the upper echelons of the solidly reputable Memphis high society. Unfortunately the “Firm” has another role in mind for Mitch, that of “Mob Stooge.” Yes, for unexplainable reasons, the Chicago mob retains a small law firm in Memphis. And apparently the partners traverse the world in search of an army of replacements to ensure the cycle is perpetuated. Well, Tom is not about to have any of that noise. Bucking the bosses, Tommy will race his way to freedom, through Memphis streets with briefcase in hand, finally putting Wilford Brimley out of our misery, getting all these White Collar Mo-Fos behind bars without ever compromising his professional integrity, and all the while helping to create the world’s most perfectly matched hick-i-fied couple, Holly Hunter and David Strathairn. Sigh. PaycheckBen Affleck gets his jog on proper here, pitted against the outstanding Aaron Eckhart and joined by ever-mild Uma Thurman. Though your disbelief is initially stretched to the point of serious snap by first having to accept Ben Affleck as some kind of computer programming genius, comfort level is restored once realization sets in that you will not be required to watch him suffer and sweat through too many electronic related explanations. Michael Jennings is a computer hacker extraordinaire, highly in demand to rip off patented computer technology because of his willingness to have any memory of his work therein erased. (Insert “Ben Affleck” and “Dumber than a Bag of Hammers” joke here) But he really gets screwed when he takes a job with Aaron Eckhart, his supposed friend, who uses him to build an Uber-Magic 8 Ball future time viewing machine of sorts, and then tries to “erase him” along with his memory of the project. Ben wakes up from his erased past and finds he has traded in his 90 million dollar paycheck for an envelope full of mysterious and crappy items. Why ever would he DO such a think you ask? Well, because there’s a mystery to solve for one! And said crappy items provide a treasure map of sorts with which Ben may play, while racing on foot, motorcycle, bus and train, through the streets of Seattle in hot pursuit of the past/future/present. Will he stop the baddies? Get the girl? Ever reclaim his lost paycheck? All signs point to “Formulaic Hollywood Ending.” Conclusion: Take heart that your boss isn’t trying to kill you. At least, as far as you know. Originally posted on:Dollar Video Curator
]]>Tue, 26 Jun 2007 22:35:34 GMTmarymcilwainDollar Video Curator6/26/2007 6:35:34 PMEver feel like your job may be killing you? Perhaps not (always) literally, but creatively; slowly sucking your soul, youth, and passion out of your left ear, leaving behind a hollow shell of a completely defeated, albeit, completely dedicated, robot? If so, you probably wake every day around 6:30 am, get your sour suit on, go to work, clock in, tune out, clock out, and return home to pickle what’s left of your brain in varying liquors, until it is time to reset the alarm clock. Well here are a couple of working-man heroes to break up your everyday boredom. In between poppin’ pills, pop these into the old VCR: The Firm, Paycheck It's a Double White Collar Crime on the rocks with a smooth jazz chaser. Drink it down!The FirmThe Curator has demonstrated in previous post that all of Tommy Cruise's projects contain the little-known "Stallion Clause." For those unfamiliar, "The Stallion Clause" is a footnote within any contract Cruise signs, that he is required to have at least one, but preferably more, scene in which he sprints, nostrils a-flarin', for the means of making an end that will be for the betterment of all in "the Film." Check it and see.Based on the book that catapulted John Grisham’s 400 page door stoppers to the top of airport bookstore shelves everywhere, The Firm does not disappoint Cruise fans, whoever they may be, containing no less than three Stallions, one hot and heavy love scene and a couple of "goodie two shoes" lovey moments with the otherwise not so wholesome Jeanne Tripplehorn. Everyman Mitch McDeere appears to have it made when he gets the job of his dreams, at last able to ditch his trailer park past, provide his “lovely” wife Abby with all she desires, and cementing his future in the upper echelons of the solidly reputable Memphis high society. Unfortunately the “Firm” has another role in mind for Mitch, that of “Mob Stooge.” Yes, for unexplainable reasons, the Chicago mob retains a small law firm in Memphis. And apparently the partners traverse the world in search of an army of replacements to ensure the cycle is perpetuated. Well, Tom is not about to have any of that noise. Bucking the bosses, Tommy will race his way to freedom, through Memphis streets with briefcase in hand, finally putting Wilford Brimley out of our misery, getting all these White Collar Mo-Fos behind bars without ever compromising his professional integrity, and all the while helping to create the world’s most perfectly matched hick-i-fied couple, Holly Hunter and David Strathairn. Sigh. PaycheckBen Affleck gets his jog on proper here, pitted against the outstanding Aaron Eckhart and joined by ever-mild Uma Thurman. Though your disbelief is initially stretched to the point of serious snap by first having to accept Ben Affleck as some kind of computer programming genius, comfort level is restored once realization sets in that you will not be required to watch him suffer and sweat through too many electronic related explanations. Michael Jennings is a computer hacker extraordinaire, highly in demand to rip off patented computer technology because of his willingness to have any memory of his work therein erased. (Insert “Ben Affleck” and “Dumber than a Bag of Hammers” joke here) But he really gets screwed when he takes a job with Aaron Eckhart, his supposed friend, who uses him to build an Uber-Magic 8 Ball future time viewing machine of sorts, and then tries to “erase him” along with his memory of the project. Ben wakes up from his erased past and finds he has traded in his 90 million dollar paycheck for an envelope full of mysterious and crappy items. Why ever would he DO such a think you ask? Well, because there’s a mystery to solve for one! And said crappy items provide a treasure map of sorts with which Ben may play, while racing on foot, motorcycle, bus and train, through the streets of Seattle in hot pursuit of the past/future/present. Will he stop the baddies? Get the girl? Ever reclaim his lost paycheck? All signs point to “Formulaic Hollywood Ending.” Conclusion: Take heart that your boss isn’t trying to kill you. At least, as far as you know. Originally posted on:Dollar Video Curator http://www.spout.com/blogs/puhnner/archive/2007/2/9/5344.aspx Post By: Puhnner
Post To: Puhnner Blog
Post Date: 2/9/2007 10:29:00 PM
Body: everything moves very quickly towards somewhere...Minority Report, Total Recall, Imposter, Paycheck, A Scanner Darkly, Blade Runner; what was Philip K. Dick thinking??? because it seems to be coming true... from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2009229,00.html The brain scan that can read people's intentionsCall for ethical debate over possible use of new technology in interrogation Ian Sample, science correspondentFriday February 9, 2007The Guardian Using the technology is 'like shining a torch, looking for writing on a wall'. CT image: Charles O'Rear/Corbis A team of world-leading neuroscientists has developed a powerful technique that allows them to look deep inside a person's brain and read their intentions before they act. The research breaks controversial new ground in scientists' ability to probe people's minds and eavesdrop on their thoughts, and raises serious ethical issues over how brain-reading technology may be used in the future. The team used high-resolution brain scans to identify patterns of activity before translating them into meaningful thoughts, revealing what a person planned to do in the near future. It is the first time scientists have succeeded in reading intentions in this way. "Using the scanner, we could look around the brain for this information and read out something that from the outside there's no way you could possibly tell is in there. It's like shining a torch around, looking for writing on a wall," said John-Dylan Haynes at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Germany, who led the study with colleagues at University College London and Oxford University. The research builds on a series of recent studies in which brain imaging has been used to identify tell-tale activity linked to lying, violent behaviour and racial prejudice. The latest work reveals the dramatic pace at which neuroscience is progressing, prompting the researchers to call for an urgent debate into the ethical issues surrounding future uses for the technology. If brain-reading can be refined, it could quickly be adopted to assist interrogations of criminals and terrorists, and even usher in a "Minority Report" era (as portrayed in the Steven Spielberg science fiction film of that name), where judgments are handed down before the law is broken on the strength of an incriminating brain scan. "These techniques are emerging and we need an ethical debate about the implications, so that one day we're not surprised and overwhelmed and caught on the wrong foot by what they can do. These things are going to come to us in the next few years and we should really be prepared," Professor Haynes told the Guardian. The use of brain scanners to judge whether people are likely to commit crimes is a contentious issue that society should tackle now, according to Prof Haynes. "We see the danger that this might become compulsory one day, but we have to be aware that if we prohibit it, we are also denying people who aren't going to commit any crime the possibility of proving their innocence." During the study, the researchers asked volunteers to decide whether to add or subtract two numbers they were later shown on a screen. Before the numbers flashed up, they were given a brain scan using a technique called functional magnetic imaging resonance. The researchers then used a software that had been designed to spot subtle differences in brain activity to predict the person's intentions with 70% accuracy. The study revealed signatures of activity in a marble-sized part of the brain called the medial prefrontal cortex that changed when a person intended to add the numbers or subtract them. Because brains differ so much, the scientists need a good idea of what a person's brain activity looks like when they are thinking something to be able to spot it in a scan, but researchers are already devising ways of deducing what patterns are associated with different thoughts. Barbara Sahakian, a professor of neuro-psychology at Cambridge University, said the rapid advances in neuroscience had forced scientists in the field to set up their own neuroethics society late last year to consider the ramifications of their research. "Do we want to become a 'Minority Report' society where we're preventing crimes that might not happen?," she asked. "For some of these techniques, it's just a matter of time. It is just another new technology that society has to come to terms with and use for the good, but we should discuss and debate it now because what we don't want is for it to leak into use in court willy nilly without people having thought about the consequences. "A lot of neuroscientists in the field are very cautious and say we can't talk about reading individuals' minds, and right now that is very true, but we're moving ahead so rapidly, it's not going to be that long before we will be able to tell whether someone's making up a story, or whether someone intended to do a crime with a certain degree of certainty." Professor Colin Blakemore, a neuroscientist and director of the Medical Research Council, said: "We shouldn't go overboard about the power of these techniques at the moment, but what you can be absolutely sure of is that these will continue to roll out and we will have more and more ability to probe people's intentions, minds, background thoughts, hopes and emotions. "Some of that is extremely desirable, because it will help with diagnosis, education and so on, but we need to be thinking the ethical issues through. It adds a whole new gloss to personal medical data and how it might be used." The technology could also drive advances in brain-controlled computers and machinery to boost the quality of life for disabled people. Being able to read thoughts as they arise in a person's mind could lead to computers that allow people to operate email and the internet using thought alone, and write with word processors that can predict which word or sentence you want to type . The technology is also expected to lead to improvements in thought-controlled wheelchairs and artificial limbs that respond when a person imagines moving. "You can imagine how tedious it is if you want to write a letter by using a cursor to pick out letters on a screen," said Prof Haynes. "It would be much better if you thought, 'I want to reply to this email', or, 'I'm thinking this word', and the computer can read that and understand what you want to do." · FAQ: Mind reading What have the scientists developed?They have devised a system that analyses brain activity to work out a person's intentions before they have acted on them. More advanced versions may be able to read complex thoughts and even pick them up before the person is conscious of them. How does it work?The computer learns unique patterns of brain activity or signatures that correspond to different thoughts. It then scans the brain to look for these signatures and predicts what the person is thinking. How could it be used?It is expected to drive advances in brain-controlled computers, leading to artificial limbs and machinery that respond to thoughts. More advanced versions could be used to help interrogate criminals and assess prisoners before they are released. Controversially, they may be able to spot people who plan to commit crimes before they break the law. What is next?The researchers are honing the technique to distinguish between passing thoughts and genuine intentions
]]>Sat, 10 Feb 2007 03:29:00 GMTPuhnnerPuhnner Blog2/9/2007 10:29:00 PMeverything moves very quickly towards somewhere...Minority Report, Total Recall, Imposter, Paycheck, A Scanner Darkly, Blade Runner; what was Philip K. Dick thinking??? because it seems to be coming true... from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2009229,00.html The brain scan that can read people&#39;s intentionsCall for ethical debate over possible use of new technology in interrogation Ian Sample, science correspondentFriday February 9, 2007The Guardian Using the technology is &#39;like shining a torch, looking for writing on a wall&#39;. CT image: Charles O&#39;Rear/Corbis A team of world-leading neuroscientists has developed a powerful technique that allows them to look deep inside a person&#39;s brain and read their intentions before they act. The research breaks controversial new ground in scientists&#39; ability to probe people&#39;s minds and eavesdrop on their thoughts, and raises serious ethical issues over how brain-reading technology may be used in the future. The team used high-resolution brain scans to identify patterns of activity before translating them into meaningful thoughts, revealing what a person planned to do in the near future. It is the first time scientists have succeeded in reading intentions in this way. "Using the scanner, we could look around the brain for this information and read out something that from the outside there&#39;s no way you could possibly tell is in there. It&#39;s like shining a torch around, looking for writing on a wall," said John-Dylan Haynes at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Germany, who led the study with colleagues at University College London and Oxford University. The research builds on a series of recent studies in which brain imaging has been used to identify tell-tale activity linked to lying, violent behaviour and racial prejudice. The latest work reveals the dramatic pace at which neuroscience is progressing, prompting the researchers to call for an urgent debate into the ethical issues surrounding future uses for the technology. If brain-reading can be refined, it could quickly be adopted to assist interrogations of criminals and terrorists, and even usher in a "Minority Report" era (as portrayed in the Steven Spielberg science fiction film of that name), where judgments are handed down before the law is broken on the strength of an incriminating brain scan. "These techniques are emerging and we need an ethical debate about the implications, so that one day we&#39;re not surprised and overwhelmed and caught on the wrong foot by what they can do. These things are going to come to us in the next few years and we should really be prepared," Professor Haynes told the Guardian. The use of brain scanners to judge whether people are likely to commit crimes is a contentious issue that society should tackle now, according to Prof Haynes. "We see the danger that this might become compulsory one day, but we have to be aware that if we prohibit it, we are also denying people who aren&#39;t going to commit any crime the possibility of proving their innocence." During the study, the researchers asked volunteers to decide whether to add or subtract two numbers they were later shown on a screen. Before the numbers flashed up, they were given a brain scan using a technique called functional magnetic imaging resonance. The researchers then used a software that had been designed to spot subtle differences in brain activity to predict the person&#39;s intentions with 70% accuracy. The study revealed signatures of activity in a marble-sized part of the brain called the medial prefrontal cortex that changed when a person intended to add the numbers or subtract them. Because brains differ so much, the scientists need a good idea of what a person&#39;s brain activity looks like when they are thinking something to be able to spot it in a scan, but researchers are already devising ways of deducing what patterns are associated with different thoughts. Barbara Sahakian, a professor of neuro-psychology at Cambridge University, said the rapid advances in neuroscience had forced scientists in the field to set up their own neuroethics society late last year to consider the ramifications of their research. "Do we want to become a &#39;Minority Report&#39; society where we&#39;re preventing crimes that might not happen?," she asked. "For some of these techniques, it&#39;s just a matter of time. It is just another new technology that society has to come to terms with and use for the good, but we should discuss and debate it now because what we don&#39;t want is for it to leak into use in court willy nilly without people having thought about the consequences. "A lot of neuroscientists in the field are very cautious and say we can&#39;t talk about reading individuals&#39; minds, and right now that is very true, but we&#39;re moving ahead so rapidly, it&#39;s not going to be that long before we will be able to tell whether someone&#39;s making up a story, or whether someone intended to do a crime with a certain degree of certainty." Professor Colin Blakemore, a neuroscientist and director of the Medical Research Council, said: "We shouldn&#39;t go overboard about the power of these techniques at the moment, but what you can be absolutely sure of is that these will continue to roll out and we will have more and more ability to probe people&#39;s intentions, minds, background thoughts, hopes and emotions. "Some of that is extremely desirable, because it will help with diagnosis, education and so on, but we need to be thinking the ethical issues through. It adds a whole new gloss to personal medical data and how it might be used." The technology could also drive advances in brain-controlled computers and machinery to boost the quality of life for disabled people. Being able to read thoughts as they arise in a person&#39;s mind could lead to computers that allow people to operate email and the internet using thought alone, and write with word processors that can predict which word or sentence you want to type . The technology is also expected to lead to improvements in thought-controlled wheelchairs and artificial limbs that respond when a person imagines moving. "You can imagine how tedious it is if you want to write a letter by using a cursor to pick out letters on a screen," said Prof Haynes. "It would be much better if you thought, &#39;I want to reply to this email&#39;, or, &#39;I&#39;m thinking this word&#39;, and the computer can read that and understand what you want to do." &middot; FAQ: Mind reading What have the scientists developed?They have devised a system that analyses brain activity to work out a person&#39;s intentions before they have acted on them. More advanced versions may be able to read complex thoughts and even pick them up before the person is conscious of them. How does it work?The computer learns unique patterns of brain activity or signatures that correspond to different thoughts. It then scans the brain to look for these signatures and predicts what the person is thinking. How could it be used?It is expected to drive advances in brain-controlled computers, leading to artificial limbs and machinery that respond to thoughts. More advanced versions could be used to help interrogate criminals and assess prisoners before they are released. Controversially, they may be able to spot people who plan to commit crimes before they break the law. What is next?The researchers are honing the technique to distinguish between passing thoughts and genuine intentions http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
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