Just like something from a sci-fi movie scientists have been able to use human brain activity to reconstruct movies from the mind of volunteer test subjects with some amazing results.

UC Berkeley researchers have succeeded in decoding and reconstructing people’s dynamic visual experiences using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and computational models. The researchers showed test subjects a number of hollywood trailers and then used their brain activity to reconstruct an image as shown below and in the video after the jump.

Volunteers needed to remain still inside an MRI scanner for hours at a time for the researchers to be able to record the brian activity. Professor Jack Gallant, a UC Berkeley neuroscientist explains: "This is a major leap toward reconstructing internal imagery,” - "We are opening a window into the movies in our minds.”

Shinji Nishimoto, lead author of the study and a post-doctoral researcher in Gallant’s lab added: "Our natural visual experience is like watching a movie,” – "In order for this technology to have wide applicability, we must understand how the brain processes these dynamic visual experiences.”  

Source: Gizmodo : UC Berkeley