Customs can block imagination—but only temporarily.

We began the week thinking about customs, logistics, and missed deadlines—not exactly the poetry of neuroaesthetic research, but a necessary chapter. The 16-channel PBCI neural headset, which should’ve arrived in Spain on April 23, was returned by Spanish customs to the U.S. A bureaucratic loop. A delay we didn’t foresee. We’re now working through alternate plans to get the device back to Europe.

But the lab doesn’t stop.

Objective

To realign our experimental goals around auditory cognition and imagined speech, while navigating the logistical setback of our EEG headset shipment. We aimed to ground our design in existing neuroscience literature, define the structure of our first neural experiment, and explore new pathways of collaboration—particularly with the Bern-based group working at the intersection of sound, memory, and machine learning.

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Summary

Equipment Delivery Update

Concerns were raised regarding the delayed delivery of the PBCI neural headset. Post-meeting, it was confirmed that the Spanish customs authorities returned the device to the United States. Efforts are underway to resolve this issue and ensure the equipment reaches us promptly.​

Experimental Design Insights

We delved deeper into the design of our upcoming experiment, which involves:​

• Listening to “Aquarela do Brasil” with eyes closed to capture EEG data during auditory processing.​

• Mentally rehearsing the song to study internal speech and musical imagery.

This approach aims to investigate the neural overlaps between speech, sound, and music processing.​

Collaboration with University of Bern

Our mentor from Bern University, Mykhailo, introduced us to the Cognitive Computational Neuroscience group at the University of Bern. Their research aligns closely with our project’s objectives, focusing on:​

• Auditory processing and predictions.​
• Machine learning algorithms for electrophysiological data.​

They offer valuable resources, including tutorials on EEG data acquisition and preprocessing, which can be accessed on their website and GitHub repository.​

Recorded Meeting in Portuguese

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Action

• Resolve the shipping issue with the OpenBCI headset. ✅ 2025-05-02
• Test the structure of the auditory + imagined song experiment.
• Review EEG-cleaning protocols from the Bern GitHub.
• Continue annotating papers on imagined speech and neural decoding.
• Begin storyboarding the experimental flow (audio samples, timing, recording).

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Final Notes

The meeting underscored the challenges of equipment logistics in international research collaborations. However, it also highlighted the potential of interdisciplinary approaches and the value of global research networks in advancing our understanding of neural processes related to creativity and auditory experiences.

We also took note of a deeper insight: even in a world flooded with AI tools, nothing replaces human broadcasting. Sharing what we’re doing helps attract the right collaborators. The Bern group only came into view because someone shared a link, a thought, a signal. This week, that human signal mattered.

Sharing helps. Always.