Mind simulation has always been considered of great importance in the field of research. There has been a long debate about mind over matter. Researchers have worked hard to prove the substantial changes your brain might bring to the surroundings and the power of your thoughts. One such concept was telepathy which is always shrouded by mystery and many times is called a hoax. The idea of controlling someone’s mind not only sounds elusive but seems impossible to achieve owing to the complexity of the human brain. These believes may be stereotypical too as they render human being as mere machines who can be controlled remotely. Nevertheless, to unveil the wonders of human mind interactions with each other, researchers of Washington University have created the first ever brain- to – brain interface.
The study was carried out using a group of six people. The two main subjects of the study were located in different chambers, where no other means of communication between them was possible, verbally or optically. The objective of the test was to manipulate a game of defending a city by firing canons. The first subject had his brain connected to a electroencephalography machine that read his brain signals. Instead of operating any controller, the subject had to just think about moving his hand to fire the cannon. This signal was transmitted over the internet to the other subject, whose hand was situated on a touchpad, and would flick and provide input in the correct manner if the signals went through.
This led the scientists to believe that the two human minds were indeed connected over the internet. Andrea Stocco who is cognitive neuroscientist was the second subject in this experiment stated that he did not find this response of his self- driven or in any manner spooky. According to him, he just felt a nervous reflex from the signal sent by Rajesh Rao, the first subject of this experiment. But to have relied on a single pair of observation who have made this experiment a subject to lot of confinements and doubts. So the experiment was conducted using three pairs and the success results were obtained between 25 to 83%.
Though several pronounced neuroscientists have dismissed these observations, claiming it to be an act of gaining publicity but Rajesh Rao feels quite different in this manner. He explained later that the objective of this experiment was to embark upon the possibility of mind fusion, portrayed just like in the science fiction movie Pacific Rim. Not only they believe that this discovery will form the basis of many upcoming researches but they also believe that this new breakthrough will open many new vistas of neurological studies.
Rao and Stocco emphasize that the brain impulse was received only indirectly through the changing magnetic field of a coil that was placed over the part of the receiver’s brain that controls hand movements. Because the process doesn’t involve implanting electrodes or other gear, the findings could represent a large step beyond existing research.
