Computer Glasses Can Boost Memory
From: United Press International - 11/03/2003
By: Charles Choi

Memory glasses are spectacles outfitted with computer screens to serve as
memory recall aids, and MIT researcher Rich DeVaul says a commercial product
based on this concept could emerge within a few years. "Just about anyone
could benefit from this system, particularly busy people who have too much to
remember, older people who are having some additional memory difficulties,
and people who work in specialized professions such as ER doctors or
firefighters who need a huge amount of specialized information at their
fingertips, but can't afford to be distracted by conventional memory aids,"
DeVaul explains. The glasses, which are linked to a computer installed within
a vest, project subliminal flashes of data at 1/180 of a second so wearers
will not be distracted, especially when they are engaged in an activity, such
as driving or combat. The prototype glasses were tested on volunteers sitting
at desktop computers; after the volunteers attempted to memorize 21 name-face
pairs displayed on the desktops, they had to match names to faces correctly
while the memory glasses flashed one of three types of subliminal cues at
them--blank screens, correct names for faces, and incorrect names. The tests
showed that volunteers cued with the correct names matched names to faces
with 50 percent more accuracy than those who received no cues, while DeVaul
discovered that users were not misled even when incorrect names were flashed.
"That's an unexpected find, and in science, any unexpected find is worth its
weight in gold," notes Thad Starner of the Georgia Institute of Technology,
who adds that the technology could be useful on desktops as well as in
wearable computers. Many people perceive subliminal messaging as a shady
technology designed to influence behavior, and Starner and DeVaul acknowledge
the likelihood that memory glasses will eventually have to contend with this
onus. 

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20031031-030346-6390r

