Name: Can we create new senses for humans?
Uploaded: 2015-03-18T16:10:45Z
Duration: 20 min 25 s
Description: As humans, we can perceive less than a ten-trillionth of all light waves. "Our experience of reality," says neuroscientist David Eagleman, "is constrained by our biology." He wants to change that. His research into our brain processes has led him to create new interfaces -- such as a sensory vest -- to take in previously unseen information about the world around us.

David Eagleman: Can we create new senses for humans?

Can we create new senses for humans?

As humans, we can perceive less than a ten-trillionth of all light waves. "Our experience of reality," says neuroscientist David Eagleman, "is constrained by our biology." He wants to change that. His research into our brain processes has led him to create new interfaces -- such as a sensory vest -- to take in previously unseen information about the world around us.

Humans perceive just a tiny fraction of reality, sensing less than a ten-trillionth of available light waves. Most of the universe remains invisible because our brains evolved to interpret only a narrow slice of information. By using technology like sensory vests, people can gain access to new dimensions of experience, such as feeling sound as vibration or even sensing data from the internet. These innovations show that our biological limitations are not fixed, but can be reimagined through creative engineering.