It’s pure fiction: moving things with your mind. But what if it was actually possible?
Chinese scientists are now working to make this concept a reality using so-called metamaterials, according to a report published by SciTechDaily on Sunday.
Past experiments
In 2019 we reported on CTRLlabs that made telekinesis possible in a virtual environment. With CTRLkit you can use your hands to pick up objects in 3D space and control their speed. The process allowed people to interact with virtual environments the way we naturally interact with the real world.
Meanwhile, in 2021, the University of Miami proposed a means of connecting human brains to computer interfaces not via Neuralink-like computer chips & cables, but with nanoparticles that interact directly with human neurons to develop mind-control technologies. So far, however, none of these efforts have yielded significant results.
Now a team of scientists led by Professor Shaobo Qu and Professor Jiafu Wang from the Air Force Engineering University and Professor ChengWei Qiu from the National University of Singapore have achieved a new development in telekinesis has been achieved in real life. The work was documented in an article. Entitled “Remotely Mind-Controlled Metasurface via Brainwaves” which proposes a framework for moving objects with the human mind.
It has long been known that the human brain generates brainwaves when it thinks. Therefore, the researchers theorized that collecting these brainwaves and using them as metasurface control signals would allow users to control the metasurfaces with their minds. Achieving this would be a huge step forward in creating truly intelligent metasurfaces that can be manipulated through telekinesis.
Using Bluetooth
How did the team achieve this breakthrough? By using Bluetooth.
The researchers managed to manipulate brainwaves wirelessly from the user to the controller via Bluetooth. The ultimate goal was to use the subject’s brainwaves to control the response of electromagnetic waves to the programmable metasurfaces. Ultimately, they found that the user could effectively control the scattering pattern.
Further research showed that the user’s brainwaves directly controlled the output, allowing for greater control & switch rate, making their model far more advanced than any existing product on the market today. However, there is still a need for action to optimize the process.
For example, its design can be further modified to improve the accuracy of its equipment, and the researchers now want to combine this new model with smart algorithms to make it more efficient & accurate. Technology applications can include, but are not limited to, 5G/6G communications, health sector & smart sensors.
However, questions arise from this type of experimentation. How safe are they really and what side effects would they cause? In the end, it all comes down to what price people are willing to pay to have the superpower of telekinesis.
The study was published in the journal eLight.
