tv Kulturzeit Deutsche Welle February 13, 2021 7:30pm-8:01pm CET
7:30 pm
well it is a bit like winning the lottery tickets for going you. know if earth were unique. in 45 minutes. they want to do what makes the game and if you. join the love bigger than banning going away for. an overnight out of my own garden and everyone with little holes in every 5th birthday are you ready to meet the servants then join the writers do it under. the human brain is thought to be the most complex organ in the natural world it has over 85000000000 neurons. and a newborn baby actually has an even higher number. throughout the early childhood the brain continues to develop as does the memory. even the most powerful
7:31 pm
computers can't match the human brain in many respects the bus computers are being taught to read brain activity allowing human beings to control them merely with the power of thought. well come to you tomorrow today with an exploration of the human brain and the world of thought. our brains are constantly working take fission for example we see football a shot to the right. the ball is our range. our eyes take in what we see that information is passed by the optic nerve to other parts of the brain in the form of electrical signals these signals can pass through the brain's neurons at a speed of up to 120 meters a 2nd. at the connection linking one neuron. to another the signal has
7:32 pm
to bridge the tiny gap known as the snap to cleft before continuing on. there is no one central location in the brain where a thought is developed we think by an entire network of neurons distributed across the brain. so detecting a single thought isn't easy but computers are learning to do just that. getting ready to play a very special computer game one that doesn't require the use of your hands a game that soley powered by yourself. it's really interesting to try this out for myself and when i think that in 5 or 10 years time we could be turning the lights on and off at home like this it's pretty amazing stuff not to respond is the future we've come to the sensory motor system
7:33 pm
slap at the e.t.h. institute in 06 switzerland scientists here are studying how humans and machines can interact the video game is connected to the monitor via a headset that can read the brain's electrical signals. and this device consists of an electrode which is a conductor that can detect changes in frequency very well if we think about wanting to carry out of particular movement and that triggers electrical activity in the brain just small differences in frequency that can be measured by this electrode to dimiss and. right now the electrode can only detect 2 commands concentration which causes the characters to speed up and relaxation which slows them down the players have to respond deliberately. when i want to concentrate i try to solve mathematics problems in my mind. alphabet in reverse to relax i'll close my eyes for a moment and try to just brief deeply sometimes it works. sometimes it doesn't the
7:34 pm
. technology is still quite basic but the game shows what's already possible in the realm of brain computer interfaces perhaps we'll soon be able to control our electrical devices at home just with our minds. has a different goal for years he's been exploring how humans and machines can interact for medical purposes. for example if people with paraplegia could control this robotic exoskeleton with their thoughts they could once again become mobile. but the technology is still in its early stages. would have to be very reliable and safe see exoskeleton must stop for example when the patient wants it to as yet it's still difficult to achieve that reliability to become a major global players such as facebook envision a huge market for this technology and a pumping billions into its development why if you could type directly from your
7:35 pm
brain. instead of typing you could just sync your messages directly into your smartphone facebook wants to make this future vision a reality in just a few years. a kind of brain controlled typewriter already exists researches at stanford university have developed a system whereby people can we think letters into a computer this enables locked in paralyzed patients to communicate with the outside world. and all you need to do is imagine moving your right arm for example to the wider t.v. on a keyboard or not all slide out to the teeth. in addition to that we're also able to turn when you wish to so what about what are you patients can type up to 40 letters a minute but in order to use the technology they have to have an electrode
7:36 pm
implanted into their brain. they also need an alphabet table to choose the letters with their eyes and. this system would not be useful as an everyday tool for people without such disabilities from your brain. and there's another major problem that stands in the way of widespread to use. one think that on people constantly think of other things so they get distracted and you might also be driving a car at that moment or walking these processes overlap in the brain without making it almost impossible to pull a text message out of your mind as things stand right now you're also seen scientists from the university of freiburg researching how to separate the various processes going on in the brain tonio balland philip k. meyer use e.g. waves to make these processes visible this shows the difference between moments of high concentration and chaotic everyday situations.
7:37 pm
here here you can see views classic e.g. alpha waves they appear when our test subject just closes his eyes so now i'll shake your head a bit my prisoner cope. sort of then be strong waves appear. it's a hindrance if we want to get to the actual information that the brain is thinking because this disruption distorts the whole thing and for months you want on. to filter the correct thoughts from the chaos they use a deep learning process in which the computer recognises brain activity on the basis of e.g. wave patterns that it is already known. to teach the system these patterns test subjects are asked to repeatedly make a movement in this case raising the right arm the computer now learns that the brain wave pattern created represents the desire to move one's right tom regardless
7:38 pm
of the end there is. the scientists have taught this robot how to recognize a specific command. using only his thoughts the test subject asks the robot to fetch him a drink. the robot recognizes the specific brain wave pattern and carries out the task. a reason to celebrate or perhaps the scientists are also concerned about the potential implications of that work because it can only function if machines are taught to read neural activity data and this is very risky after all what might happen if corporations like facebook had access to the brain activity data of millions of people. and it's going to feel huge amounts of brain activity data were stored in one location for the benefit of learning processes it might be that more
7:39 pm
very relevant information could be gleaned for example the troop level and from you could distinguish between gender or ethnic background all things that we don't know what the moment but it would make sense to think about how to effectively protect this data before simply handing it over and consider whether such systems should even be given to consumers in. the past to brain control devices has already been paved even if they exist mainly in research and development at the moment facebook as well as other companies are in the starting blocks in the race to conquer our thoughts with technology. the human brain is likely to remain a source of fascination many of its inner workings are still a mystery but scientists have been able to debunk some of the myths surrounding the brain. one that involves. mozart who
7:40 pm
lived from 17. 562-7918 study from the 1990 s. claim that listening to his music could make you smile especially his analysis for 2 pianos in team a chance. at gun a huge public interest and became known as the mozart effect but the results of the study could never be reproduced the mozart effect is a myth. still music that we enjoy can stimulate the brain and have a positive effect on us. one of our viewers in the rock has asked about another commonly held misconception concerning the brain. do people really only used 10 percent of their brain. then surely tell of a fee or telekinesis would be no problem if people could finally access 100 percent of their brain power as well as a. michael lucy in the film of the same name. while the rest of us bumble
7:41 pm
along at a pivoting 10 percent. but that's a myth that is more hollywood than reality. using only 10 percent of the organ that consumes the most energy would be a huge evolutionary disadvantage. even asleep we use far more than a 10th of our brain. no one knows exactly where the persistent 10 percent make comes from it's been mr tributed to many people including albert einstein at my heart back to a misunderstanding of a theory positive by psychologist william james under student boris c.d.'s. c.d.'s a son was a child prodigy. at 18 months he reportedly could read a newspaper. later it was claimed that he had an i.q. of 254000000 james then said in a lecture people only meet
7:42 pm
a fraction of their full mental potential. but he said not. thing about 10 percent or part of the brain remaining unused. pop culture has also helped to perpetuate the myth. of course some areas of the brain may be more active than others but none are completely idle if they can't receive stimuli they'll find another job to do. for example in blind people the visual centers of the brain can adapt to help process or tree signals. but brain cells tend to atrophy if the news. quite apart from a conscious decision making the brain has plenty to do filtering impressions regulating breathing controlling reflexes hunger and thirst and much more besides. the fact is only people who suffer real brain damage can no longer use certain
7:43 pm
parts of their brain. the rest of us can access all of those billions of brain cells. the brain of a newborn baby possesses many more new runs than that of an adult while in the womb the brain grows at an average rate of $250000.00 neurons per minute. but it's still not fully developed the brain initially develops many more synopses than it actually needs it was hard to comprehend the world and to remember. babies are curious and attentive but come a watch somebody do something remember it and then do it themselves that is imitate a simple action. 6 months old and she's observing closely.
7:44 pm
you can pull off the toys here and shake it like a rattle. after a brief pause it's layers turn she's clearly noted the trick with the ear. that shows she's developed some memory for a sequence of events. but that's only one of many stages in the development of memory. psychologists at frankfurt university tested $1000.00 children extensively over a period of 5 years. they wanted to find out what stages children go through until they develop the ability to remember events from their own past and then go on to have an autobiographical memory. the ability to recognize oneself is a prelude to being able to remember things from one's past can recognise herself yet . the task is to wipe away the mark on her face with the help of america his son it
7:45 pm
isn't a mark. why don't you morrow touches her face she recognised herself in the mirror not all children can do that at one and a half. benjamin tries to wipe the mark off the mirror instead. and cut out now finds the image in the mirror upsetting. look why put away your earliest is a bit older. you know what the mark a way clean it of you will use recognises himself in the mirror but he still got a way to go to develop an autobiographical memory. is all to be altered by a graphical memory is the queen of disciplines within memory and it requires many different components which children don't have when they 1st arrive on the planet. the ability to remember past events is one of those components you leave us
7:46 pm
recognises himself in the mirror and on screen what's not up there. it's a bit of red tape there where is it. can't you lose connect the past situation he sees in the video to the present that would be sensational as you or your sister rather young for that now and for what than just what do you see the red thing is kind what is it you can you give it to me. when you take it off the video off grab a fan and this task doesn't just require him to recognize who's there on the screen the strip of paper was attached to his head a few minutes earlier he also has to understand i existed a few minutes ago and i remember that happening so the paper might still be there only then can you look for it on his own head. by the time before most children can complete this task with that they're already much closer to having a full autobiographical memory. remembering an experience is the next stage.
7:47 pm
tony is 6 and he's shown a scene from 2 years earlier. do we still have this street. we take those cars and drive them along the street right now because the situation he also talks about other adventures without any video prompt most of us here there was this i said to lights but didn't get away in time and it went off. tony had to work hard to reach this stage and lest we forget here's the video to prove it. times how good is your memory what did you wear to that party one month ago a red dress or was it the blue one. what did you eat something healthy. or fast food. are you sure
7:48 pm
maybe you got it wrong. did you have an argument with your friend. well one thing is clear on them marines are not always as reliable as we'd life. we all have minor lapses of memory from time to time we find ourselves thinking i could have sworn i put the keys on that shelf. after an anxious search we eventually find them. on the desk. or minds play games on us and london based forensic psychologist julia sure says it happens far more often than we realize. again and i like to compare memory to a with a pedia pain inch you can alter it but so can others and i like the analogy because it describes how flexible our memories are and how they can undergo massive changes
7:49 pm
in everyday life as well as an extreme situation and explains at what cost of an uncle. in experiments sure has brought 70 percent of participants over the course of 3 interviews to have memories of a crime they never committed. and they remember it in all its complexity as if it really happened. give details emotional details where you think that can't possibly be a phone's memory and it sounds as if this person really did it all to think you matter it self declared perpetrators and victims can turn out to be nothing of the sort it happens time and again. in germany in 2004 a man admitted to chopping up his fiance's father and feeding him to dogs he said the victim's family helped him carry out the gruesome deed. but 5 years
7:50 pm
later the police found the man's car in the danube river and inside they found the corpse of the allegedly butchered would be father in law all in one piece. near the monument and the fact the more you question someone the more their memories can change and that is important for police investigation methods. as it means that we have to take into account the repeated interrogate. ins can lead to a suspect adding misinformation to their memories misrepresenting things in a very major way. in australia in 1975 a woman was raped and then gave investigators a very detailed description of her attacker he was soon found and arrested but he had a water tight alibi he was doing a live interview at the time of the rape so if he could not possibly be the rapist why was the woman so sure he was. in this case the answer was quite simple she'd
7:51 pm
watched the interview on t.v. just before she was attacked the woman had confused the face she'd seen on t.v. with that of the rapist. mentioned they used to sit with people who were involved in the criminal justice system like police officers and lawyers often say that they would recognise a false confession or a false memory when they encountered one once. but that's not true these situations are incredibly difficult to understand for everybody. we can't see if someone is lying and we can't see if someone has a false memory and that led to a nightmarish situation for a man in the united states in the 1990 s. while undergoing psychotherapy his adult daughter suddenly came to believe that she had been sexually abused by him for many years she said that had resulted in 2
7:52 pm
pregnancies and she had tacked to abort the foetuses with a wire coathanger. but then it emerged that the woman had never been pregnant much less had any abortions she was in fact still a virgin. juliet schor also consults as an expert on criminal cases and provides training to the police. primary aim is to teach investigators to avoid suggestive questions that can elicit false memories. shore says it can happen very fast. as one thing if you think the person you are talking to know small and even knows more about you in your life than you do then you can soon start thinking yes what if that is what happened on the what if this can quickly turn into a. perhaps consume because yes that is what happened. false
7:53 pm
memories can lead to false statements and to terrible miscarriages of justice. incidentally studies show that we're much more likely to notice negative things than positive ones that make sense from an evolutionary point of view allowing us to recognize problems and dangers and to resolve them. but it can also prevent us from shrugging off things that aren't important. however we can retrain ourselves for example by taking time to remember the good things that we're happy about. things are known to have a very good memory and there's social animals like most primates including humans then there are social predators that hunt and pads studies suggest the brain can reveal how sociable an animal is dolphins for example have been shown to be extreme in social animals but other species also appear to be more selfless than we realized. it's well known that parents are pretty
7:54 pm
smart birds but i think also helpful to each other. bella is an african gray and lives in laurel park zoo on 10 a river in the canary islands she and her friends have been helping the mox plant institute for ornithology with an experiment about social intelligence and cooperative ness. the parents quickly learn that they can exchange a token for food. but in this experiment bella has a problem she can swap her tokens for a treat because the window is closed instead she hands them over to her friend kimmy kimmie then swaps the tokens for food through her window bella gets nothing this generosity without any immediate favor in return surprised even the researchers because until now such behavior had only been observed among some great
7:55 pm
apes and humans. in the 2nd experiment the parents are given a choice. a blue token means only one of them gets a treat a white token earns them both a snack they soon work it out and choose white which benefits both birds even though the other one has done nothing to earn a treat. me carrots are evidently helpful and not envious. the researchers think this has to do with power which lifelong monogamy. he prefers solidarity to selfishness. it called what is right why are great but i'm going to be ok to. do you have a science question that you've always wanted answered it we're happy to help out send it to us as a video text ovoid smell if we answer it on the show we'll send you
7:56 pm
a little surprise as a thank you can all just ask. and for most stories about the world of science visit us on our website on twitter and facebook. that's all for this edition of tomorrow today join us again next time for more fascinating stories from science and technology. stay healthy and stay curious.
7:57 pm
7:58 pm
a bit like winning the lottery going to 20 going to. what is 1st were unique. in 15 minutes on t.w. . what secrets lie behind these walls. discover new adventures in 360 degree. and explore fascinating world heritage sites. t.w. world heritage 316 get me out now. how does a virus spread. why do we panic and when we'll all miss him and just through the tax cover and a weekly radio program. if you would like and the information on the crawl on my wrist or any other science topic you should really check out our podcast you can
7:59 pm
8:00 pm
this is d. w. news live from berlin closing arguments began in the 2nd impeachment trial of former u.s. president donald trump the trial resumes after democrats and republicans agreed not to call witnesses but leader mitch mcconnell's intention to vote for acquittal means that trump is unlikely to be found guilty of inciting violence. also on the
8:01 pm
20 Views
Uploaded by TV Archive on