<p>I've read that the way perception works in the brain, stimuli from the external world is converted into signals that travel through the brain until they reach regions of the brain that can &quot;decode&quot; them. Feel free to correct me if that statement seems naïve; I am not well-read in this area.</p>
<p>My question is, if you are given a recording of brain activity, and you're told it is with regard to the perception of some object in reality, is it possible to completely determine what that object was with just the activity in the brain?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-14T01:26:48.950Z
Good video if you have access to it: https://youtu.be/AgbeGFYluEA
Arnon Weinberg
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-14T23:01:03.447Z
Great video, thanks for sharing. So from the contents of that video, the answer to my question would be that it could be done in theory, but it would require many more decades of technological progress before it would be feasible.
Chidi 
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-16T02:45:52.190Z
I'm more optimistic than that.  That video is 4 years old; for a more recent one, check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSpYEAUDiU0 - much of the needed technology is already available, and progress may be faster than you think.
Arnon Weinberg
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-19T00:00:09.033Z
Wow. Just wow. I am genuinely surprised by some of the technology on display in that video. The amount of progress between the two videos is incredible. I wonder how long before those devices get in the hands of consumers
Chidi 
<neuroscience><cognitive-neuroscience><theoretical-neuroscience>
Is it possible to completely describe a real object in terms of brain activity?
Chidi 
# Is it possible to completely describe a real object in terms of brain activity?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-04-10)

I've read that the way perception works in the brain, stimuli from the external world is converted into signals that travel through the brain until they reach regions of the brain that can "decode" them. Feel free to correct me if that statement seems naïve; I am not well-read in this area.

My question is, if you are given a recording of brain activity, and you're told it is with regard to the perception of some object in reality, is it possible to completely determine what that object was with just the activity in the brain?

**Tags:** neuroscience, cognitive-neuroscience, theoretical-neuroscience

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Good video if you have access to it: https://youtu.be/AgbeGFYluEA  
> **username_0**: Great video, thanks for sharing. So from the contents of that video, the answer to my question would be that it could be done in theory, but it would require many more decades of technological progress before it would be feasible.  
> **username_1**: I'm more optimistic than that.  That video is 4 years old; for a more recent one, check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSpYEAUDiU0 - much of the needed technology is already available, and progress may be faster than you think.  
> **username_0**: Wow. Just wow. I am genuinely surprised by some of the technology on display in that video. The amount of progress between the two videos is incredible. I wonder how long before those devices get in the hands of consumers  

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## 0 answers

