Scientists have found a way to use fMRI brain scans to read thoughts letter by letter in real time. They suggest their “brain-scanning speller” has potential for helping paralysed people who can’t move or speak, such as those with so-called “locked-in syndrome”, to have a conversation. Bettina Sorger of Maastricht University in The Netherlands and colleagues report their work in the 28 June online issue of Current Biology.
