(Update 27 4 2009: For a methodological problem which could cast doubt on some (but not all) of the kind of research that I discuss below, see this newer post.)
In the last couple of weeks we've seen not one but two reports about "reading minds" through brain imaging. First, two Canadian scientists claimed to be able to tell which flavor of drink you prefer (Decoding subjective preference from single-trial near-infrared spectroscopy signals). Then a pair of Nashville neuroimagers said that they could tell which of two pictures you were thinking about through fMRI (Decoding reveals the contents of visual working memory in early visual areas); you can read more about this one here. Can it be true? And if so, how does it work?
Although this kind of "mind reading" with brain scanners strikes us as exciting and mysterious, it would be much more surprising if it turned out ...
