April 24, 2004
How To Hack Your Brain
An interesting article in yesterday's Slate describes "a buyer's guide to recreational brain scanning." The author, Steven Johnson, describes that brain imaging technologies have been used over the years for 'medical pursuits' but more and more we see media stories about an analysis of brain activity directed toward non-medical interests. For example, there are numerous articles describing the use of brian scans in people as they watch TV sitcoms or think about soft drinks. On Tuesday, the New York Times ran a front-page story about a study that analyzed the brains of political partisans as they viewed Kerry and Bush campaign ads. 
Johnson points out "if you thought Googling for yourself was the sign of a self-obsessed culture, get ready for the personal brain." He discusses the pros and cons of biofeedback, neurofeedback, cortisol tracking and functional magnetic resonance imaging.