Scientists led by Ralph Adolphs — a professor of psychology, neuroscience, and biology from the Caltech Brain Imaging Center in Pasadena, CA — developed a machine-learning tool that can predict how intelligent a person is based on their brain activity patterns.
Specifically, the new algorithm relies on data culled by a functional MRI (fMRI) scanner.
Also, the algorithm only needs information on the brain’s resting state, so the people being scanned do not need to solve any logical puzzles or math problems in order to have their mental abilities tested.
The scientists tested their newly developed algorithm on almost 900 participants, and the findings will soon be published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.