Giving new meaning to the phrase “mind reader,” Dutch researchers have demonstrated a functional imaging method that allows them to read characters viewed by a test subject.

Functional MRI has already demonstrated an ability to tap into a person’s thoughts, but the technology typically involves identifying which areas of the brain are active and responding to various stimuli. The current study from Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands, leveraged the modality to reconstruct images of handwritten characters a subject is viewing based on blood-oxygen-level dependent response in the brain.

For more, read the Radboud University Nijmegen press release at the link below: