A new study conducted by scientists at the University of Washington found that mind reading might be possible with the use of computer technology that utilizes a "brain-to-brain" interface in order to communicate brainwaves, according to ABC News.
"Brain-to-brain interface is a field of research that is just at the very beginning," said Andrea Stocco, lead author of the study. "The ability to easily and directly communicate very complicated concepts and images from one brain to another brain is a long way off in the future."
The study, which was published in PLOS One on Wednesday, used randomly paired participants who were sent to darkened lab locations approximately 1 mile apart, according to Health. Despite the fact that they could not see or hear one another, they were connected to an EEG-type machine and then engaged in a question-and-answer game - one person thought of an object, and the other asked questions to guess what it was.
"On average, people were able to correctly identify the objects more than 70 percent of the time," said Stocco. "And because each game involved a series of questions and answers before guessing the object, we found that people were actually able to correctly understand responses 93 percent of the time."
Despite the fact that taking advantage of this concept on a larger scale would require major financial investments in terms of the gear and computers used to send the EEG-like signals, Stocco is pleased with the potential that the results offer.
"We have been able to show is that the clear exchange of simple information between a pairing of brains is possible," he said. "And that, I think, is a big step forward. And it establishes a very solid foundation to build on. Which is very exciting."
