Scientists transmit thoughts from one brain to another

An international team of scientists has succeeded in transmitting the thoughts of one individual into the brain of a second person, located thousands of miles away, combining some of the latest technological marvels with the long arm of the Internet.

This is thought to be the first time that two brains have communicated with each other directly over a long distance without the sender having to utter a single word. Two greetings -- ‘hola’ and ‘ciao’ -- made the historic trip from India to France, where they were received and spoken by a researcher who was blindfolded and equipped with earplugs. 

The scientists wanted to ensure that the receiver knew what his colleague 5,000 miles away was thinking because of the brain-to-brain transmission, not because of some other cue.

The research, published in PLOS One, was conducted by scientists in Spain, India, France and the United States.

The scientists wanted to prove, even with technology that will likely seem arcane in the near future, that it’s possible for two human brains to communicate with each other directly, Alvaro Pascual-Leone of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, co-author of the study, said.