“That a first-of-its-kind noninvasive brain-to-brain 20 Questions experiment let two volunteers exchange thought-based answers across nearly 50 miles without physical signals.”
@spiritscienceofficialPost analyzed by Clear
“A real 2015 lab study got stretched from one mile to fifty.”
Noninvasive brain-to-brain-interface experiments are real. The 2015 study used EEG to classify a participant’s intentional attention to flashing Yes/No cues and TMS to produce or withhold a visual percept for the other participant. It was a limited, controlled demonstration rather than reading unrestricted private thoughts.
The post recasts the matching 2015 experiment as a new two-volunteer, nearly-50-mile first. The published experiment had 10 participants across five pairs, was conducted about one mile apart, and used computers and mouse selections as part of the task. It transmitted prearranged binary answers, not freely formed messages or general telepathy.
The altered distance, claimed novelty, and telepathy framing materially change the audience’s impression of how new, capable, and practical the technology is.
Why Clear says this
The underlying research supports a narrow proof of concept for computer-mediated transfer of binary task information between brains. But the post’s central newsworthy claim—an apparent new 50-mile demonstration by two volunteers—does not match the primary study or the University of Washington’s account. The study was published on September 23, 2015, used five pairs, and placed participants approximately one mile apart.
Evidence
- The primary paper reports five pairs of participants, not one pair of two volunteers.
- The paper states the two labs were approximately one mile apart.
- The task used predefined object lists and three Yes/No cycles; the inquirer selected questions and reported perceptions with a mouse.
- EEG decoded attention to flashing Yes/No LEDs, while TMS created a visual percept representing Yes; this was not open-ended thought reading.
- A systematic review describes brain-to-brain interfaces as experimental systems with important technical limitations and no agreed standard stimulation method.