MYNORTHWEST NEWS

UW scientists find your brain might be able to control someone else’s body

Aug 29, 2013, 12:47 PM | Updated: 8:58 pm

What if you could control someone else’s body with your mind? A recent experiment at the University of Washington seems to indicate that might be a real possibility.

UW researcher Andrea Stocco was the man on the receiving end of the experiment. A fellow researcher, Rajesh Rao, was stationed across campus in a setup meant to determine if Rao could remotely control Stocco’s body with his mind.

Stocco wore a cap with a magnetic coil over the portion of the brain that controls hand movements, and Rao was wearing a cap meant to capture the brain’s signals. Researchers wanted to see if Rao’s brain signals could move Stocco’s hand.

“What I noticed was that my hand moved up and down and pressed the space bar,” Stocco tells KIRO Radio’s John Curley. “It was kind of like when you have a nervous tic and you feel a part of your body, like an eyelid, moving without your control.”

Stocco wasn’t sure, at first, what the movement meant, but said he could tell by the reaction of his fellow researchers it might mean good news for the experiment.

“They were giggling and they were all happy. I knew that the experiment had succeeded.”

The movement in his hand, the experiment concluded, was a result of an impulse sent from Rao’s brain, Stocco said.

“We had several systems to actually check what was triggering my movement was Rao’s brain.”

As for how this might translate to a practical use, Stocco said they can see it being used for training.

“If we can transfer more complex motor commands … a surgeon could help a younger surgeon to guide the hands in the right position in the future, or a pilot could help a younger pilot to pilot a complicated airplane.”

MyNorthwest News

Image: Brightly colored eggs are set on a table on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington,...

Ted Buehner

Expect good Easter weekend weather for egg hunts, chilly evening Mariners games

Both Saturday and Sunday of Easter weekend will feature temperatures warming to around 60 degrees across much of Western Washington.

11 hours ago

Taylor Swift performs onstage during the Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Lumen Field on July 22, 20...

Micki Gamez, KIRO Newsradio and Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest

Seattle tourism dollars break records following All-Star Week, Taylor Swift

It was a record-setting year for dollars flowing into Seattle from tourists.

12 hours ago

Image: A bridge in Carnation....

Julia Dallas

Carnation frustrated with Seattle again after 8th false emergency alarm induces widespread panic

Carnation citizens have faced a series of panic-inducing alarms after SPU's system for the Tolt Dam falsely sounded eight times.

14 hours ago

Grocery store shopper...

Bill Kaczaraba

Ways to deal with Seattle grocery store sticker shock

Seattle grocery store sticker shock continues to play havoc on locals, but there are ways to counter high prices.

14 hours ago

belltown hellcat social media...

Frank Sumrall

Infamous ‘Belltown Hellcat’ social media influencer charged with reckless driving

The social media influencer has been accused of driving 107 miles per hour through Belltown in a Dodge Hellcat.

15 hours ago

KIRO Newsradio gracie awards...

MyNorthwest Staff

KIRO Newsradio anchors receive Gracie Awards for outstanding work

Heather Bosch and Lisa Brooks, anchors at KIRO Newsradio, have been honored by the Alliance for Women in Media with prestigious Gracie Awards.

18 hours ago

UW scientists find your brain might be able to control someone else’s body