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