Beyond words: how nature and technology might enable silent communication
From the chemical signals of plants to the potential for direct brain-to-brain links, this lecture explores how information travels without speech. Discover the hidden languages of the natural world and the science behind the dream of telepathy.
Sophie Scott examines the diverse mechanisms of non-verbal signaling across species. In the natural world, communication takes many forms: plants and animals use pheromones, snakes utilize forked tongues to gather data, and dogs rely on scent to navigate their environment. Some deep-sea creatures and insects even use light generated by bacteria to attract prey or signal others.
The lecture also investigates human social cues, such as how posture reveals mental states and why smiles and yawns are contagious enough to foster social cohesion. Finally, Scott looks toward the future of technology, questioning whether the science fiction concept of telepathy could ever be realized through direct brain-to-brain communication.
Source: Could telepathy become reality? 2017 CHRISTMAS LECTURES with Sophie Scott 2/3
