Smart tattoos made the news recently as a way to monitor health stats; now smart tattoos could also bring us the power of telekinesis. An electrical engineer at the University of California at San Diego has been invested in figuring out how to let humans control machines with their brains, and this temporary electronic tattoo could be the answer. Electronic tattoos have the possibility of giving the user mind control without a brain implant, which up until now has been the only effective way to achieve any sort of telekinesis.

The smart tattoo will feature flexible electronics that will be applied on the forehead, where it will be able to monitor brain activity as well as vital signs. Doctors are now moving to eventually use this technology to monitor premature babies that are at risk for seizures to help avoid potential health problems. The discreet size of the electronic tattoos would also help eliminate wires and electrodes that need to be used to monitor vital signs in such situations.

There are plenty of other potential uses for electronic tattoos, and a start up in Cambridge, MA is working on getting this technology to the masses. Besides mind control, the tattoos could also help us communicate via telepathy. When one thinks about talking, muscles in the throat will move, something called sub-vocalization. If a tattoo were placed on a user’s neck, it could pick up these subtle movements, and communicate to another person what is being said.

The potential for mind control and telekinesis sounds like the plot of a sci-fi story, but the technology is in the works, and it has the potential to benefit consumers, doctors, defense companies, and more.