Question

It's your friend's birthday, and you want to send him a text.

You pick up your phone, and a voice responds,
"Passthought?" You close your eyes and imagine diving
into an Olympic-size swimming pool. The phone unlocks.
Wait. What just happened? You didn't type a password to
identify yourself, and you didn't use fingerprint recognition.
All you had to do was think. Sounds pretty cool, right? But
is being able to think your password really a good idea?
Brain Power
Today's phones don't enable you to think your way past
security (or past the secure, locked phone), but in the
future, passthoughts may be commonplace. John Chuang,
an engineer at the University of California, Berkeley,
develops and tests passthought systems. "A passthought
is just like a password," he says. "You get to choose what
you want to think about." You could imagine diving or your
dog doing a trick. As long as you think the correct thought,
the system lets you in.
How are passthoughts and
passwords alike?
Passwords and passthoughts are
required on all devices.
Like passwords, passthoughts are
chosen by each individual.
Like passwords, passthoughts let you
think your way past security.
Passwords and passthoughts are
commonplace.

Answer 1

Passthoughts are like passwords in that they are chosen by the individual and secure access, but they rely on brainwave patterns rather than typed characters. This technology is still being developed, and while it promises seamless access security, it raises concerns about feasibility and privacy. Deliberate thinking, cognitive efficiency, and the role of memory are key considerations in such technological advancements.

Step-by-step explanation:

Passwords and passthoughts are alike because both are chosen by the individual and are used to secure access to devices or systems. A passthought is a concept currently under development that would allow a person to use a specific thought to unlock a device, similar to how a password is used today. Unlike traditional passwords, which rely on typed characters or biometric data like fingerprints, passthoughts would utilize brainwave patterns recognized by a device to verify identity.

Similar to how some tasks can be performed on autopilot, like commuting or doing laundry after they become routine, a passthought would leverage the brain's ability to recall and reproduce a thought pattern effortlessly. This innovation would bridge the gap between cognitive processes and technological security. However, the ease of use and potential risks such as thought interception or the need for brainwave-scanning technology must be carefully considered.

Moreover, the act of deliberate thinking, such as solving complex problems, places energy demands on the brain, and over time, our evolution has favored methods of thinking that conserve energy. This concept of cognitive efficiency is evident in the way humans can interpret facial expressions rapidly, while deliberately solving a math problem requires noticeable mental effort. Thinking styles, energy conservation in cognition, and the nature of memory and thought are important considerations in the dialogue about emerging technologies like passthoughts.

Answer 2

This won't work

Step-by-step explanation:

How are passwords and passthroughs similar? The only thing that could make these 2 ideas alike would be the fact that you get to make it up yourself. Choose any combination of letters, numbers, and symbols to get you into the account you create, every time. But not everyone will know that to the account with the username jill123 uses the password ********, especially if you don't set it up to where it remembers your username for you so all you need is the password. It could take someone days to figure out what some people choose for their password. Now, if you have the username saved for each time you sign in, and you're using pass thought, anyone could walk up and be thinking about "diving" or "your dog doing a trick", and BOOM! They're in your personal account because "great minds think alike" and just so happened to be thinking the same exact thing you were when you set up your new passthought. It just won't work, in my opinion, and I'd never use it if it were a thing.