BrainKiss For iPad Just Gave Me The Most Awkward 15 Seconds Of My Life

Among the big-budget booths and high-profile titles at Tokyo Game Show, there are also dozens of smaller-profile displays dedicated to technology companies hoping to draw attention. BrainKiss occupies one of those displays, and features an in-development iPad app. I passed by their booth several times since the show began, intrigued by the odd name and the sight of attendees with sensors strapped to their head. After wondering what the hell it was for two days, I decided to give it a try for myself.

One of their employees knew a little English, so I asked him exactly what it does. He wasted no time in strapping the sensors to my head and ear, and explained that they detect alpha and beta waves in the brain. The data it collects supposedly indicates whether or not you're interested in someone romantically. Once he explained that and I realized there were Japanese models near the booth, I sensed incoming awkwardness.

Sure enough, he flagged down an attractive model and brought her over to me. He explained that we'd have to stare into each other's eyes for 15 seconds, and the app would let me know if I was interested in her.

He started the timer, and the next 15 seconds felt like an hour. Have you ever stared directly into the eyes of an attractive Japanese model that doesn't speak any English for 15 seconds? It's weird. Normally I'd have made some dumb jokes or something to alleviate the awkwardness of the situation, but even that wasn't an option thanks to the language barrier. After a super-weird 15 seconds, the app returned my results:

Apparently I wasn't interested in her. Could have fooled me, but maybe the app knew something about her that I didn't. Maybe she's a sociopath or thinks Carlos Mencia is funny or something, because my brain waves don't lie. Now I gotta go to the doctor when I get back to the States and make sure he scoops out all my new brain tumors.