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BCI Thursdays Next Generations: BCI-fi Part 1

July 21, 2022 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

For many years, we and others have published papers noting that brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are becoming more prominent. This is apparent in many ways, including academic and medical publications, BCI-related commercial activity, popular media attention, and activities like BCI-themed conferences, classes, hackathons, and professional organizations such as the BCI Society. However, BCIs have also been getting attention since before the invention of BCIs through BCI-fi, which means BCI-related science fiction (Allison, 2009). This growing subcategory of science fiction merits further study. In addition to academic curiosity, science fiction influences public perceptions of science and its role in society. We often speak with laypeople whose views about BCIs are based on BCI-fi – often without realizing it. Thus, studying how BCI-fi affects, and is affected by, real-world BCI activities could help us understand and influence BCI directions and applications. Efforts like these could also help improve both the quality, quantity, and diversity of BCI-fi. In this two-part event, we will have prominent speakers within the BCI-fi community to discuss their contributions to BCI-fi, their favorite examples of BCI-fi including movies, books, and podcasts, and next steps to develop, foster, or publicize “good” BCI-fi. We will be joined by Dr. Brendan Allison (UCSD), Andy Weir (author of The Martian), Dr. Eric Leuthardt (Washington University in St. Louis), Stephen Hou (host of Neurratives podcast), Dr. Richard Ramchurn (University of Nottingham), Dr. Jane Huggins (University of Michigan) and Dr. Robert Hampson (Wake Forest University).

July 21 @ 2-3pm PDT / 5pm EDT

WATCH VIDEO

Moderator

Stephanie Cernera, Moderator

Stephanie Cernera, Moderator

University of California, San Francisco

Stephanie Cernera is a postdoctoral scholar in Dr. Philip Starr’s laboratory at the University of California, San Francisco. Her project focuses on neural decoding of behavioral states using multimodal data collection (i.e., video kinematics and accelerometry) in freely moving patients with dystonia. Prior to arriving at UCSF, she earned her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida, in which her dissertation involved the development of a sensor-driven closed-loop deep brain stimulation paradigm in patients with essential tremor. 

Speakers

Brendan Allison, Moderator

Brendan Allison, Moderator

University of California, San Diego

Presentation title: A framework for analyzing BCI-fi and recurring themes in BCI-fi

Dr. Allison earned his PhD in Cognitive Science from UC San Diego in 2003, and has been active in BCI research for over 25 years. He has worked for top experts in BCI and EEG research including Jonathan Wolpaw, Melody Moore Jackson, John Polich, Gert Pfurtscheller and Christa Neuper. His work primarily involves non-invasive BCIs for control to help patients with disabilities. He was also a Founding Board Member of the BCI Society, and has been active with BCI Society activities.

Andy Weir

Andy Weir

Author

Presentation Title: My favorite examples of BCI-fi

Andy Weir built a two-decade career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, The Martian, allowed him to live out his dream of writing full-time. He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of such subjects as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail. He lives in Chicago.

Eric Leuthardt

Eric Leuthardt

Washington University School of Medicine

Presentation title: Red Devil 4: Inspiration, critical reception, advice for BCI-fi authors

Eric C. Leuthardt, M.D. is a neurosurgeon who is currently a professor in the Departments of Neurological Surgery, Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Material Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.  He is also Chief of the Division of Neurotechnology and Director of both the Center for Neuroscience in Innovation and Technology and the Brain Laser Center.  His undergraduate degrees are in biology and theology from Saint Louis University and his medical degree is from the University of Pennsylvania.  Leuthardt is an internationally renowned neurosurgeon and scientist.  His research has focused on thought-controlled devices linked to the brain that may restore function to patients with various types of disabilities.  His work in the field of neuroprosthetics, neurotechnologies, advanced brain imaging, and neurosurgical devices has yielded him numerous accolades as a pioneer in applied neuroscience. In addition to numerous peer-reviewed publications, Leuthardt has nearly 1900 patents on file with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a myriad of medical devices and brain computer interface technologies.  He is an Emmy winning playwright for BrainWorks and the author of Red Devil 4 and Limbo.

Stephen Hou

Stephen Hou

Neurratives Podcast & Blackrock Neurotech

Presentation title: Possible “Next Steps” to develop, foster, or publicize (good) BCI-fi

Stephen started Neurratives podcast when his passion for systems neuroscience and his love of movie rewatch podcasts had a weird pandemic idea-baby. Stephen has a Masters degree in Biomedical Engineering with a focus in neural engineering and works as an engineer at Blackrock Neurotech. Stephen’s non-neuroscience-related interests include trail running, snowboarding, PC gaming, and playing with a brown tabby cat named Nala. 

Details

Date:
July 21, 2022
Time:
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Event Category: