Mind Over Matter

From VOA Learning English, this is As It Is. I'm Anna Matteo in Washington.

Hollywood has made many movies about mind control. Movies like "The Matrix" and "Inception" are about the outside world controlling the mind of the individual.

But what if we change that around? What if the story is about a person who is able to use their mind to control the world around them – about people controlling robots using only their thoughts? The best part is this is not a Hollywood movie. This is real.

Our story today is about scientists who are creating technology that is helping people who have lost the use of their arms or legs by using the most complex computer known to man – the human brain.

Here is June Simms to tell the story of "mind over matter."

Mind Over Matter

Cathy Hutchinson is a tetraplegic. She has not been able to move her arms, legs or speak since suffering a stroke nearly fifteen years ago. Recently, she learned how to control a robotic arm using her thoughts. She now can use brain activity to serve herself a drink.

The American woman took part in a research project known as BrainGate2. The researchers have spent years studying how to help people who are paralyzed regain movement in their arms and legs.

John Donoghue is a neuroscientist with Brown University and the Department of Veterans Affairs. He also was part of the project.

JOHN DONOGHUE: "People who are paralyzed have their brain disconnected from their body. So they are not able to go out and do everyday things that you and I can do, like reach for a glass of water or scratch your nose. So our idea is to bypass that damaged nervous system and go directly from the brain to the outside world so the brain signals can, not control muscle, but control machines or devices like a computer or a robotic limb."

The two paralyzed people had small sensors connected to the part of the brain that controls movement. The devices measured brain activity and sent that information to a computer.

The computer has special software that turns the information into digital commands for operating other devices. The researchers used a highly developed robotic arm to recreate human actions.

Scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the German Aerospace Center also took part in the study.

The BrainGate team had its first success in two thousand six. A tetraplegic stabbing victim was able use the brain-computer interface system to control a computer cursor. John Donoghue says the latest development using robotic arms is a major victory.

A video of the latest experiment shows Cathy Hutchinson using the robotic arm to pick up a cup of coffee. She guides the cup toward her mouth, moves it forward and drinks through a straw.

Lead investigator Leigh Hochberg says the first time she did it was a magical moment.

LEIGH HOCHBERG: "To see her with that robotic arm reach out and pick up that cup of coffee and serve herself that coffee for the first time in nearly fifteen years, it was an incredible moment."

The research team carried out almost two hundred tests with two different robotic arms. The two individuals were able to pick up their target objects forty-three to sixty-six percent of the time.

The researchers are calling the information very promising. But they say it will take years to fully develop the technology for everyday use.

I'm June Simms.

Thanks, June. And I'm Anna Matteo.

Share your thought about mind control or practice with the expressions "low-tech" and "high-tech" in our comment section where you can practice your written English。

词汇解析。

stroke

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.中风;击打;一笔(画);意外的运气

v.击打

v.轻抚;奉承

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

I know a doctor. He is expert in curing stroke.

我认识一个医生,专治中风。

用作动词 (v.)

She stroked the ball cleverly past her opponent.

她巧妙地一击把球打过对手。

scratch

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

v.抓;搔(痒);划破;划掉

n.抓痕;乱写;抓的声音;起跑线

adj.无让步的

参考例句

用作动词 (v.)

Will you scratch that sticker off the car window?

请你把车窗上的那张贴纸撕下好吗?

用作名词 (n.)

I decide to learn English from scratch.

我决定从头学习英语。

directly

难度：3星常用词汇，属常用6000词

英汉解释

adv.直接地;立即;正好地;完全

conj.<英>一...就...

参考例句

用作副词 (adv.)

They bought the machine directly from the manufacturer.

他们直接从厂商那里购买了这台机器。

His private actions are in direct contradiction with his publicly expressed opinions.

他私下的行为跟公开的言论完全是两码事。

software

难度：5星基本词汇，属常用1000词

英汉解释

n.软件

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

There are many sorts of software in my computer.

我的计算机里有很多软件。

Our English software is an interactive educational software.

我们的英语软件是一种交互式教育软件。

digital

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

adj.数字的;数码的;手指的;计数的

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

Most of the computers we are using are digital computers.

我们正在使用的计算机大多数是数字计算机。

Based on rough counting of mechanic fetch pills, the system realized twice electronic minutia counting based on technique of digital image processing.

该系统在机械取丸粗计数的基础上，采用数字图像处理技术完成了两次细计数，保证了数丸的高精度。

victim

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.受害者;受骗者;牺牲

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

She fell an easy victim to his temptation.

她经不起他的诱惑，轻易地被骗了。

He was the victim of injustice.

他是不公平的牺牲者。

experiment

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.试验;实验;尝试

vi.尝试;做实验

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

With Multiple Level Undo you can safely experiment with various what-if scenarios.

使用多级撤消可以安全地尝试各种假设分析方案。

用作不及物动词 (vi.)

Small businesses are anxious to experiment with computers.

小型企业都急于试用计算机。