Thought-Controlled Computing

I was in Toronto in my consulting life the other day when an article in the Canadian press caught my eye. It was about a company that was doing something called “thought-controlled computing.”

I had no idea what this meant but it sounded cool and important. So, I Googled the CEO and co-founder – a woman named Ariel Garten – and it turns out she’s not only a neuroscientist and an entrepreneur, but a fashion designer and a practicing psychotherapist. She’s also just 33 years old.

My first thought was, “Wow, this is (well, you know)" - that shiver of curiosity that invariably leads to a podcast. My second thought was that maybe Ariel Garten was really a computer simulation since it all seemed a bit much. Anyway, I got in touch, saw her office demo-ed her products, chatted with her over dinner, and just knew you would want to meet her, too.

Apart from her accomplishments and the cutting edge technology she and her team are developing, what fascinates me about Garten is the way she proves that artistic and scientific sensibilities can truly be integrated. I also admire the skepticism this tech entrepreneur has about our modern fetish for technology. Toss in the fact that she says our playlists will one day sense when we’re depressed and suggest songs that would make us happy, and you have the makings for what I hope you'll agree is an interesting conversation.