Technability: The Next Frontier  While we continue to wait for a
“cure,” scientists and engineers are coming up with ways for
those of us with limited mobility to increase our function. A
recent 60 Minutes report detailed some of the current research
on computer-brain interfaces, or CBI. Rather than using your
hands or voice to control a computer, you can do it directly
using your brain waves.  Initial attempts have used external
sensors to pick up tiny electrical impulses generated by your
brain when you think. For example, thinking about the letter “A”
as it flashes on the screen creates a specific brain wave
pattern that can be picked up by tiny electronic sensors. The
whole alphabet might be flashing on the screen, so concentrating
on one letter and then the next could allow you to spell out a
word or phrase. The user puts on something that looks like a
swimming or shower cap fitted with small electrodes that simply
sit on the surface of the skull and “listen” for the brain to
give off electric impulses. 