At the first event of the Russia National Centre, discussions will focus on how brain study technologies will change the future
At the International Science Fiction Symposium “Inventing the Future”, the inaugural event of the Russia National Centre, leading experts in the field will engage in the scientific discourse “How the Brain Changes Us.” Here, they will discuss which discoveries and technologies in the study of the brain – the most complex object in the universe – will shape the future and why it is crucial to do no harm in our attempts to apply new knowledge.
Olga Dragoy, Director of the Center for Language and Brain at the Higher School of Economics (HSE) and one of the session’s keynote speakers, shared her vision of the future of science in light of technological advancements. The expert believes existing neural interfaces and ongoing neurolinguistic research one day could enable the joy of communication for people who have lost the ability to speak.
“We are just beginning to work on neural interfaces in the field of speech pathology, but I am confident they will become widespread. A particularly promising development is the ‘neuroprosthesis’, speech synthesis based on electrocorticography, where electrical brain activity is translated into audible speech. Currently, trials are underway for this technology to help people with neurological disorders who are unable to speak,” Olga Dragoy explains.
If scientists manage to decode language from recordings of electrical brain activity, it could become a new communication channel, the professor believes. She emphasized that the most accurate data can be obtained specifically through electrocorticography – a method of recording bioelectrical processes that allows for real-time observation of brain cortex activity.
The Symposium’s discussion on the evolution of the human brain will also include an international expert – Italian scientist Matteo Feurra, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at HSE.
On July 1, 2024, President Vladimir Putin signed an order establishing the Russia National Centre to preserve the legacy of the “Russia” Exhibition and to showcase the country’s achievements on a permanent basis.
The International Symposium “Inventing the Future” will be held on November 4-6 at the Russia National Centre. The event will bring together distinguished scientists and researchers, futurists and forecasters, fiction authors, as well as government representatives. Please visit the website to get more detail on the Symposium’s agenda.
Alongside the symposium, the National Centre
will host the exhibition “Heritage for the Future,” featuring works by young
artists – graduates of creative universities from various countries.