Guess What I'm Thinking

Telepathy May Transform From Parlor Trick to the Real Deal.
 

- Karen Bush Gibson

Many of us use mobile devices to stay in touch throughout the day. But what if you didn’t have to type a message, snap a picture, or even hit send? What if all you had to do was think to communicate? Some people, including Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, predict that one day, we will be able to send messages to others with our thoughts. The future of communication may be telepathy.

What Is Telepathy?

Have you ever known what someone was going to say before he or she said it? Or perhaps you knew who was about to come through a door or contact you before it happened? You might have joked that you have a “sixth sense.”

Telepathy, also known as thought transference, is the process of sending thoughts or ideas without using the usual five senses, such as listening, seeing, or touching. It’s one of several types of supposed extrasensory perception. But could it actually exist? Until recently, scientists would have said no.

Sending Thoughts

Like the rest of our bodies, our brains are made up of cells. Brain cells, known as neurons, communicate with each other through electrical signals. Could that electrical activity be used for brain-to-brain communication like telepathy?