We’ve all thought about it – what would it be like to be able to read minds? Apart from cheesy sci-fi flicks, the notion has yet to materialize; but one researcher has brought us a little closer.

New “social x-ray specs” may change the way we view conversation. The brain child of Rosalind Picard from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, these glasses are able to identify six of the most prominent human expressions including thinking, agreeing, disagreeing, concentrating, interested, and confused.

The slick-looking specs are equipped with a tiny camera that works by tracking 24 points on a person’s face. The information is run through special software that compares what is happening at each point and sends it to a database of faces and known expressions. The glasses then discretely whisper – in your ears – which kind of expression the person is exhibiting.

So next time you’re at the water cooler and your co-worker lies about how great your presentation was, or how much he likes the new team leader, you may be able to detect what lies beneath his words. But he’ll also hear it and, as technology blog and gadget guide Gizmodo was quick to point out, “no normal person… would ever want to hear an ongoing public critique of their conversation as they’re having it”. Gizmodo also reports that the social x-ray glasses can only accurately identity 64 percent of expressions, only 10 percent more than an average person.

Nevertheless, it’s a big idea that has the potential to change the way we converse. According to New Scientist, although the human race can naturally detect these expressions, people do often miss important ones because they’re so small and quick. This means the glasses have the potential to assist people that find it hard to understand different expressions, like those living with autism.

Submitted by Aly Thomson, Freelance Reporter
Find her at www.alythomson.com