Did you know?
A dolphin’s brain is 300g heavier than a human’s. They’re thought to be as intelligent as apes.
MIND READING
THOUGHTS ARE ELECTRICITY, AND THAT MEANS THAT THEY CAN BE DETECTED AND DECODED. Electrodes placed on the scalp can listen out for signals made by the buzzing of neurons inside the brain, and researchers are developing ways to decode the messages. It works by using a computer that can learn the patterns that the brain creates when people focus on a single, simple thought, like a movement or a word. The signals can then be used to control a prosthetic, command a computer, or they can even be sent to someone else’s brain using magnets placed across their scalp.
It might sound like science fiction, but this field is moving so quickly that even big companies like Facebook want in on the action. In 2017, Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company is “working on a system that will let you type straight from your brain about five-times faster than you can type on your phone”. They’re also working on a skin sensor that can translate touch into thoughts, mimicking what the ear does with sound.