Feb 15th, 2007
The OpenEEG Project
Even though EEGs (electroencephalogram) aren’t that much use to medical science, I’ve always wanted one. They’re smaller & easier to use than fMRI machines. EEGs work by reading the electrical activity on your scalp which, believe it or not, registers some brainwave activity. EEGs are where we get the terms “alpha waves” and “delta waves” which correspond to different levels of consciousness (I mean sleep, not some foofy new-age thing). By the time you reach delta waves, most of the brain you can read from an EEG is firing in sync so you get these nice big slow waves. This contrasts with the frenetic & chaotic pattern associated with waking life.
The OpenEEG Project gives anyone the means to make a DIY home EEG machine with just a few simple household items… well, okay not just a few simple household items, but it’s still cheaper than an MRI and it should look at least half as professional as Jim Carrey with a colander on his head.