logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2023
50m 44s

Can technology read our mind?

Bbc World Service
About this episode

How does our brain process language? We speak to an expert who is using technology to turn narrative thoughts into text. Also on the show, what is happening in our brains when we switch languages? And what are the positives and perils of technology and translation?

Also on the show, we look at internet connectivity in incredibly remote areas, whether carbon capture is realistic, and we continue to explore different foods from around the world.

Up next
Jan 30
Are you still with us?
Are You Dead?That’s the name of an app that’s gone massively viral in China. Every two days, you click a green button to confirm you’re alive and well – but if you miss it, an emergency contact is alerted.The app is aimed towards those who live alone, so it’s got us contemplating ... Show More
49m 29s
Jan 23
Banging the science drum
After the leaders of Japan and South Korea ended their summit with the two participating in a drumming duet, we’re marching to the beat of our own drum and exploring some rhythmic science.First, we look at nature’s drummer, the woodpecker, and why their pecking doesn’t give them ... Show More
49m 30s
Jan 16
Science down under
This week the Unexpected Elements team has travelled Down Under to sunny Sydney where we discover some wonderfully Australian science with the help of some wonderfully Australian panellists. First, we discuss the surprising American origins of Australia’s iconic marsupials and Ma ... Show More
49m 30s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2022
The technology of translation
What is the relationship between translation, technology and the human brain? 
6m 19s
Jan 2014
Intent
Aleks Krotoski looks at whether we've all become techno-fundamentalists. Do we know what all our technology is for or more intriguingly what it wants?Aleks hears from Douglas Rushkoff about how the whole of the world around us has always been programmed by architects, religion, a ... Show More
28m 1s
Jul 2023
Bodies, brains and computers
We've been building computers to think like us for years, but our ability to replicate human senses has been impossible. Until now. Evolutionary biologist and broadcaster Professor Ben Garrod, is off to meet some of the sensory innovators and technological pioneers who are develo ... Show More
27m 36s
Jan 2024
Christmas Lecture 05: Virtual Reality: Can You Believe What You See?
The human eye and the human brain help us process reality. How accurate is our shared perception of reality? Scientific knowledge helps us clear the rubble from the path and see things for what they are. In the last part of Growing Up In The Universe, I take you through virtual r ... Show More
45m 34s
Oct 2021
Can we grow a conscious brain?
<p>Philosophers have long pondered the concept of a brain in a jar, hooked up to a simulated world. Though this has largely remained a thought experiment, CrowdScience listener JP wants to know if it might become reality in the not-too-distant future, with advances in stem cell r ... Show More
35m 46s
Nov 2016
Mind Reading
Whether it's gossiping over a drink, teaching our children, or politicians debating we use words to communicate with each other and share ideas. It’s what makes us human. But what if we can’t? Could it be possible to broadcast our thoughts directly from our brains without the nee ... Show More
26m 59s
May 2022
Tech in the Great Outdoors
We often think of technology as stuff that keeps us sitting at home, wired to our phones or computers or game systems. But there's an entire world of technology designed to inspire you to get outside and go exploring. We look at how tech can play a part in getting back to nature. ... Show More
32m 17s
Mar 2023
Does AI actually understand us? | Alona Fyshe
Is AI as smart as it seems? Exploring the "brain" behind machine learning, neural networker Alona Fyshe delves into the language processing abilities of talkative tech (like the groundbreaking chatbot and internet obsession ChatGPT) and explains how different it is from your own ... Show More
10m 15s
Jul 2023
Remote touch
We've been building computers to think like us for years, but our ability to replicate human senses has been impossible. Until now. This technological revolution is starting to profoundly change not only how we interact with the world around us, but is allowing us to see, hear, s ... Show More
27m 13s