Scientists recreate Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" using patient brainwaves and AI

September 01, 2023

In a jaw-dropping mix of science fiction and reality, scientists have cooked up an experiment that takes brainpower to a whole new level – literally! Imagine this: patient brainwaves, those tiny electric signals buzzing inside our heads, teaming up with super-smart AI to recreate one of Pink Floyd's famous songs, "Another Brick in the Wall". It's like a brain-bending remix of music and technology!

So, picture this scene: 29 brave patients are in a hospital in New York City, getting special brain surgery. But this isn't just any surgery; it's about understanding how our brains groove to music. These courageous folks agreed to let scientists put tiny gadgets, called electrodes, on their brains. And while all this is happening, Pink Floyd's hit is playing softly in the background.

Now, here's where the magic comes in: those electrodes on their brains recorded the zaps of electricity dancing around while the music played. Think of it as the brain's own musical dance moves. After collecting all this brain data, the scientists gave it to a super-smart custom software computer program – an AI – to analyse.

Guess what happened next? The AI turned those brain zaps into music! Okay, it wasn't exactly the same as the original song, but you could definitely recognise the tune. It's like the AI learned to speak brainwave language and sang it out loud.

But wait, there's more! The scientists trained the AI to learn from all those brainwaves and then complete a part of the song that was missing. It's like the AI had a secret chat with the patients' brains and figured out how to finish the musical puzzle.

Now, let's get real for a moment. Scientists have been studying brain waves and talking to brains for a while. They've even used AI to understand what we're thinking and to analyse when someone is telling lies. Imagine a translator for your thoughts! Some scientists have even tried sending pictures straight to the brain. Crazy, right?

But this new experiment takes things to a whole new level. Imagine if someone couldn't talk because of an illness or something that happened to them. This AI-powered brain music might just help them find their voice again. It's like rebuilding a broken bridge between our minds and the world.

Sure, the music might sound a bit wacky, like a remix gone wild. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that it's like a tiny key to a big door. A door that could open up better ways for us to talk to our brains, and our brains to talk back to us. It's like we're unravelling the mysteries of our minds, one musical brainwave at a time. And who knows, maybe Pink Floyd would've been amazed by this wild collision of their music and our brainwaves!