list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Total Recall 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/Total_Recall/35561/default.aspx Title: Total Recall
Year: 1990
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Plot: In Paul Verhoeven's wild sci-fi action movie Total Recall, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a 21st-century construction worker who discovers that his entire memory of the past derives from a memory chip implanted in his brain. Schwarzenegger learns that he's actually a secret agent who had become a threat to the government, so those in power planted the chip and invented a domestic lifestyle for him. Once he has realized his true identity, he travels to Mars to piece together the rest of his identity, as well as to find the man responsible for his implanted memory. Verhoeven has created a fast, furious action film with Total Recall, filled with impressive stunts and (literally) eye-popping visuals. Though the film bears only a passing resemblance to the Philip K. Dick short story it was based on ("We Can Remember It For You Wholesale"), the movie is an entertaining, if very violent, ride. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 23
Number of Lists: 58
Number of blog posts: 5
Number of discussion threads: 3
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:44:42 GMTTotal Recall1990Paul VerhoevenIn Paul Verhoeven's wild sci-fi action movie Total Recall, <a href="/players/P___110501/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Arnold Schwarzenegger</a> plays a 21st-century construction worker who discovers that his entire memory of the past derives from a memory chip implanted in his brain. Schwarzenegger learns that he's actually a secret agent who had become a threat to the government, so those in power planted the chip and invented a domestic lifestyle for him. Once he has realized his true identity, he travels to Mars to piece together the rest of his identity, as well as to find the man responsible for his implanted memory. Verhoeven has created a fast, furious action film with Total Recall, filled with impressive stunts and (literally) eye-popping visuals. Though the film bears only a passing resemblance to the Philip K. Dick short story it was based on ("We Can Remember It For You Wholesale"), the movie is an entertaining, if very violent, ride. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide23Tag Target (>10)58533http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t99327u6avs.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Total_Recall/35561/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/spoutblog/archive/2008/11/13/37277.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 11/13/2008 1:01:21 PM
Body: Movie spoilers have become a big deal in the internet age, though what was one time a hugely controversial topic concerning online film discussion has since become a surprisingly popular part of cinephilia on the web. Sites specifically focused on spoilers are easily found on the net, YouTube videos present montages of secret twists and of course there’s that movie spoiler t-shirt that’s surely a hit with geeky yet pretentious video store clerks. So, at first this new clip of two guys spoiling 100 movies endings in five minutes didn’t seem all that special. However, the duo’s delivery is terrific (both in the clothed and naked version), and considering the revelation that “Meg Ryan and (respective love interest) get together!” takes up eight slots in a row, the video is clearly more a joke on movie spoilers than it is about the mean-spirited divulging of secrets. Also, the guys point out a few good examples of why remakes of movies with twists are unnecessary. Duh. Even if you’re afraid that you haven’t seen all 100 movies being spoiled in the video, check it out. Never let a movie’s worth be dependent on the twist. A good movie should be able to be enjoyed time and time again despite your familiarity with it, such as the original Psycho and, as these guys point out, Total Recall (”because it has a chick with three boobs in it!”). [via Fark.com] Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:01:21 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com11/13/2008 1:01:21 PM Movie spoilers have become a big deal in the internet age, though what was one time a hugely controversial topic concerning online film discussion has since become a surprisingly popular part of cinephilia on the web. Sites specifically focused on spoilers are easily found on the net, YouTube videos present montages of secret twists and of course there’s that movie spoiler t-shirt that’s surely a hit with geeky yet pretentious video store clerks. So, at first this new clip of two guys spoiling 100 movies endings in five minutes didn’t seem all that special. However, the duo’s delivery is terrific (both in the clothed and naked version), and considering the revelation that “Meg Ryan and (respective love interest) get together!” takes up eight slots in a row, the video is clearly more a joke on movie spoilers than it is about the mean-spirited divulging of secrets. Also, the guys point out a few good examples of why remakes of movies with twists are unnecessary. Duh. Even if you’re afraid that you haven’t seen all 100 movies being spoiled in the video, check it out. Never let a movie’s worth be dependent on the twist. A good movie should be able to be enjoyed time and time again despite your familiarity with it, such as the original Psycho and, as these guys point out, Total Recall (”because it has a chick with three boobs in it!”). [via Fark.com] Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/6/4/30500.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 6/4/2008 4:00:49 PM
Body: Over at the AMC blog SciFi Scanner, there’s a post about the accuracy of Jason Bourne’s condition in the Bourne movies. At the World Science Festival, held last weekend in NYC, there was a panel titled The Brain and Bourne: Neuroscience in the Bourne Trilogy that featured Bourne Identity director Doug Liman and psychiatrist and neuroscientist Giulio Tononi. And according to Tononi, the sort of amnesia that Bourne suffers from, which includes the ability to retain certain skills despite an overall loss of memory, is rare but does exist. Interesting, but does it really matter? Nobody making the Bourne movies seems to have known its accuracy, and they probably didn’t care. And neither do most moviegoers. Amnesia is simply a good plot device for movies, and oftentimes they’re more about something else than the condition, accurate or not. So, here’s a list of some of my favorite movies with amnesia at its forefront, plus the respective reasons for my not caring if they are realistic or not. The Bourne Identity (plus The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum) - Because I’m not rating these in order, I’ll begin with the one already mentioned. Jason Bourne’s amnesia is, of course, a good excuse for a thrilling story, but to me it’s also a metaphor for U.S. intelligence post-Cold War and certainly post-9/11, showing us how, despite efforts to forget or disconnect from foreign policy decisions and/or controversial operations of the past, certain things, people, relationships (etc.) may come back to bite us on the ass. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - I’m pretty sure that Tononi couldn’t find accuracy in the forced-amnesia process featured in this admittedly fantastical film, and again it wouldn’t matter if he could. The idea of surgically eliminating specific memories is representative of our more general attempts to immediately forget an unsuccessful romantic relationship and the eventual difficulty of trying to recall good times associated with a past love we’re no longer with. Memento - Here’s a film that supposedly is, like the Bourne trilogy, fairly accurate. But as a device, the amnesia is so much more interesting than as a real condition. I’ve read that it’s a metaphor for “forgetting everything we hold dear when humans embark on a quest and want to succeed at any cost,” and that (courtesy of Simon Cowell) it’s a metaphor for America’s attention span. I’m undecided on which of these I prefer, or if I’d even go with another (there’s surely more ideas out there), but the point is that it doesn’t just have to be about a guy with anterograde amnesia. Overboard - While on the surface it’s an innocent comedy about a single father who takes advantage of an amnesiac woman of wealth. But it can also be read as a male fantasy in which the feminist movement is forgotten and women return to the pleasures of homemaking … even after they regain their memory. For a sort of reverse of this plot, see Desperately Seeking Susan, in which a housewife loses her memory only to become her fantasy: the liberated, sexually independent woman (as perfectly portrayed by Madonna). Amateur - Not the first and probably not the best example, but a personal favorite movie dealing with the bad man who’s turned good through amnesia. It’s a more abstract tale of identity reinvention than others, and Roger Ebert said it best in his review that it’s a movie in which the idea of the plot is more interesting than the plot itself. Most of the film’s characters are attempting to drastically change their lives, but unfortunately not everyone can have the fortune of suffering an amnesia-inducing blow to the head. Other favorites include Spellbound, The Muppets Take Manhattan and Total Recall. Certainly I’m excluding a good number of amnesia films, most of which I’ve likely never seen (or, appropriately, I’ve forgotten about them). For a much more comprehensive examination of amnesia at the movies, check out this article written by clinical neuropsychologist Sallie Baxendale. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:00:49 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com6/4/2008 4:00:49 PM Over at the AMC blog SciFi Scanner, there’s a post about the accuracy of Jason Bourne’s condition in the Bourne movies. At the World Science Festival, held last weekend in NYC, there was a panel titled The Brain and Bourne: Neuroscience in the Bourne Trilogy that featured Bourne Identity director Doug Liman and psychiatrist and neuroscientist Giulio Tononi. And according to Tononi, the sort of amnesia that Bourne suffers from, which includes the ability to retain certain skills despite an overall loss of memory, is rare but does exist. Interesting, but does it really matter? Nobody making the Bourne movies seems to have known its accuracy, and they probably didn’t care. And neither do most moviegoers. Amnesia is simply a good plot device for movies, and oftentimes they’re more about something else than the condition, accurate or not. So, here’s a list of some of my favorite movies with amnesia at its forefront, plus the respective reasons for my not caring if they are realistic or not. The Bourne Identity (plus The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum) - Because I’m not rating these in order, I’ll begin with the one already mentioned. Jason Bourne’s amnesia is, of course, a good excuse for a thrilling story, but to me it’s also a metaphor for U.S. intelligence post-Cold War and certainly post-9/11, showing us how, despite efforts to forget or disconnect from foreign policy decisions and/or controversial operations of the past, certain things, people, relationships (etc.) may come back to bite us on the ass. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - I’m pretty sure that Tononi couldn’t find accuracy in the forced-amnesia process featured in this admittedly fantastical film, and again it wouldn’t matter if he could. The idea of surgically eliminating specific memories is representative of our more general attempts to immediately forget an unsuccessful romantic relationship and the eventual difficulty of trying to recall good times associated with a past love we’re no longer with. Memento - Here’s a film that supposedly is, like the Bourne trilogy, fairly accurate. But as a device, the amnesia is so much more interesting than as a real condition. I’ve read that it’s a metaphor for “forgetting everything we hold dear when humans embark on a quest and want to succeed at any cost,” and that (courtesy of Simon Cowell) it’s a metaphor for America’s attention span. I’m undecided on which of these I prefer, or if I’d even go with another (there’s surely more ideas out there), but the point is that it doesn’t just have to be about a guy with anterograde amnesia. Overboard - While on the surface it’s an innocent comedy about a single father who takes advantage of an amnesiac woman of wealth. But it can also be read as a male fantasy in which the feminist movement is forgotten and women return to the pleasures of homemaking … even after they regain their memory. For a sort of reverse of this plot, see Desperately Seeking Susan, in which a housewife loses her memory only to become her fantasy: the liberated, sexually independent woman (as perfectly portrayed by Madonna). Amateur - Not the first and probably not the best example, but a personal favorite movie dealing with the bad man who’s turned good through amnesia. It’s a more abstract tale of identity reinvention than others, and Roger Ebert said it best in his review that it’s a movie in which the idea of the plot is more interesting than the plot itself. Most of the film’s characters are attempting to drastically change their lives, but unfortunately not everyone can have the fortune of suffering an amnesia-inducing blow to the head. Other favorites include Spellbound, The Muppets Take Manhattan and Total Recall. Certainly I’m excluding a good number of amnesia films, most of which I’ve likely never seen (or, appropriately, I’ve forgotten about them). For a much more comprehensive examination of amnesia at the movies, check out this article written by clinical neuropsychologist Sallie Baxendale. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Five_for_Five/Re_Let_me_know/255/28036/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Five for Five
Post Date: 4/30/2008 8:51:46 PM
Body: Arnold Schwarzenegger: 5 * True Lies 4 * Total Recall 3 * Conan the Barbarian 2 * Twins 1 * Junior
]]>Thu, 01 May 2008 00:51:46 GMTmercurialFive for Five4/30/2008 8:51:46 PMArnold Schwarzenegger: 5 * True Lies 4 * Total Recall 3 * Conan the Barbarian 2 * Twins 1 * Junior http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/2/18/25279.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 2/18/2008 3:01:08 PM
Body: I am one of the biggest supporters of digital 3D, but I just can’t get behind Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D. It appears to be the most exploitive of the technology as little more than a gimmick and attraction. Every bit of computer generated imagery looks tailor made to look neat in three-dimensions. And then the story was probably constructed around those shots. Hell, even that non-CGI shot of Brendan Fraser spitting into the sink seems to exist only so that the spit will appear to fly at you. This isn’t a movie; it’s an amusement park-appropriate spectacle — like Captain EO. Directed by Oscar-winning ILM effects master Eric Brevig (Total Recall) and based on the classic Jules Verne story, Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D is obviously about a journey to the center of the earth, in 3D. It also apparently features dinosaurs, phosphorescent hummingbirds, giant man-eating fly-trap-type plants and a really, really long fall that reminds me of Fraser’s role in the underrated Joe Dante comedy Looney Tunes: Back in Action. Those things alone at least make the movie sound better than The Core. Of course, that isn’t saying much. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:01:08 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com2/18/2008 3:01:08 PM I am one of the biggest supporters of digital 3D, but I just can’t get behind Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D. It appears to be the most exploitive of the technology as little more than a gimmick and attraction. Every bit of computer generated imagery looks tailor made to look neat in three-dimensions. And then the story was probably constructed around those shots. Hell, even that non-CGI shot of Brendan Fraser spitting into the sink seems to exist only so that the spit will appear to fly at you. This isn’t a movie; it’s an amusement park-appropriate spectacle — like Captain EO. Directed by Oscar-winning ILM effects master Eric Brevig (Total Recall) and based on the classic Jules Verne story, Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D is obviously about a journey to the center of the earth, in 3D. It also apparently features dinosaurs, phosphorescent hummingbirds, giant man-eating fly-trap-type plants and a really, really long fall that reminds me of Fraser’s role in the underrated Joe Dante comedy Looney Tunes: Back in Action. Those things alone at least make the movie sound better than The Core. Of course, that isn’t saying much. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/windbreaker/archive/2007/11/26/22213.aspx Post By: Windbreaker
Post To: Windbreaker!
Post Date: 11/26/2007 8:02:23 PM
Body: 7/10. To me, 8+ would qualify for "loved it". I like Paul Verhoeven, and I root for him to make quality films. He doesn't always make a great flick, but he often has flashes of greatness. Total Recall & Robocop are required viewing for any sci-fi fan, but obviously not in the same filmmaking universe as Black Book. Basic Instinct was a very good murder mystery that comes closest in feel to BB -- its moral ambiguity and passion (both good and evil) are central themes.Calling BB an epic is a stretch for me, unless you're just referring to the 2 1/2 hour running time. An epic is a movie that successfully captures viewers for the duration of a journey, while richly establishing characters. I thought the characters were rich and the acting superb, but the story let me down just a smidge. I'd definitely recommend it for the non-squeamish, but I'm not buying it. Don't take my squeamish warning lightly! There are a few brutal scenes in here.
]]>Tue, 27 Nov 2007 01:02:23 GMTWindbreakerWindbreaker!11/26/2007 8:02:23 PM7/10. To me, 8+ would qualify for &quot;loved it&quot;. I like Paul Verhoeven, and I root for him to make quality films. He doesn&#39;t always make a great flick, but he often has flashes of greatness. Total Recall &amp; Robocop are required viewing for any sci-fi fan, but obviously not in the same filmmaking universe as Black Book. Basic Instinct was a very good murder mystery that comes closest in feel to BB -- its moral ambiguity and passion (both good and evil) are central themes.Calling BB an epic is a stretch for me, unless you&#39;re just referring to the 2 1/2 hour running time. An epic is a movie that successfully captures viewers for the duration of a journey, while richly establishing characters. I thought the characters were rich and the acting superb, but the story let me down just a smidge. I&#39;d definitely recommend it for the non-squeamish, but I&#39;m not buying it. Don&#39;t take my squeamish warning lightly! There are a few brutal scenes in here. http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Guilty_Pleasure_films/190/8443/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: josephkuzma
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 5/8/2007 11:32:23 PM
Body: My list is more guilty pleasures as actors, not films. I could probably make Top 5 lists out of each of these people and more... but here goes: 1. Sylvester Stallone: Rocky II, III & IV. I don't include the first because it's a great movie and I am not ashamed of liking it. I didn't include V because it's crap. And I haven't seen Rocky Balboa so I can't say one way or the other. Also Cop Land.2. Arnold Schwarzenegger's 80s (and early 90s) catalog defines guilty pleasure over and over. I hate that I like Twins, Terminator, The Running Man, Total Recall, Predator. However, I will proudly say that I like T2. Now if only T3 had been watchable...3. Keanu Reeves - Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure/Bogus Journey, Matrix: Reloaded/Revolutions (the first wasn't a guilty pleasure in my book), Point Break , Feeling Minnesota, My Own Private Idaho, The Devil's Advocate, The Watcher.I could almost combine 4 - 5 and some of them probably aren't guilty pleasures so much but I'm listing them anyways. Take them for what you will.4. John Candy - I can't help it. Uncle Buck, The Great Outdoors, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Nothing But Trouble, Canadian Bacon? Brilliant.5. Dan Akroyd - Nothing But Trouble, Coneheads, Ghostbusters/Ghostbusters 2, Spies Like Us, Grosse Pointe Blank, Blues Brothers, Feeling Minnesota.
]]>Wed, 09 May 2007 03:32:23 GMTjosephkuzmaTop 55/8/2007 11:32:23 PMMy list is more guilty pleasures as actors, not films. I could probably make Top 5 lists out of each of these people and more... but here goes: 1. Sylvester Stallone: Rocky II, III &amp; IV. I don&#39;t include the first because it&#39;s a great movie and I am not ashamed of liking it. I didn&#39;t include V because it&#39;s crap. And I haven&#39;t seen Rocky Balboa so I can&#39;t say one way or the other. Also Cop Land.2. Arnold Schwarzenegger&#39;s 80s (and early 90s) catalog defines guilty pleasure over and over. I hate that I like Twins, Terminator, The Running Man, Total Recall, Predator. However, I will proudly say that I like T2. Now if only T3 had been watchable...3. Keanu Reeves - Bill &amp; Ted&#39;s Excellent Adventure/Bogus Journey, Matrix: Reloaded/Revolutions (the first wasn&#39;t a guilty pleasure in my book), Point Break , Feeling Minnesota, My Own Private Idaho, The Devil&#39;s Advocate, The Watcher.I could almost combine 4 - 5 and some of them probably aren&#39;t guilty pleasures so much but I&#39;m listing them anyways. Take them for what you will.4. John Candy - I can&#39;t help it. Uncle Buck, The Great Outdoors, Planes, Trains &amp; Automobiles, Nothing But Trouble, Canadian Bacon? Brilliant.5. Dan Akroyd - Nothing But Trouble, Coneheads, Ghostbusters/Ghostbusters 2, Spies Like Us, Grosse Pointe Blank, Blues Brothers, Feeling Minnesota. 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/Classic/MemberTagFilms.aspxClassic
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