

Can we gain the superhuman senses of superheroes ? Image Credit: sxc.hu

Mankind no longer needs to rely on evolution to obtain new sensory perceptions and abilities.

Society has long dreamed of possessing superhuman powers like those wielded by the characters we see in comics and movies, abilities that would seem to be rooted firmly in the realms of science fiction. Some scientists however believe that a future in which it will be possible to posses such powers may be a lot nearer than most people think and that research being carried out today could be instrumental in making it happen.To this end, researchers have been investigating the way in which the brain processes information from our existing senses and whether this could be used to handle new types of inputs. "The brain doesn't care what the peripheral devices are that you plug in, like eyes and ears and nose and mouth," said neuroscientist David Eagleman. "These are plug-and-play peripheral devices and the brain will figure out how to use it."Theoretically it should be possible to integrate new types of senses in to the brain, providing humans with new perceptions such as the ability to sense magnetic fields, an improved sense of smell, the ability to see in ultra-violet and much more.Researchers have already identified cases in which individuals robbed of their sight or hearing have been able to compensate for this using devices that can "see" sound or that can use a form of echolocation to see what's ahead even if the person is blind."We are no longer a natural species in the sense that we don't have to wait for Mother Nature's sensory gifts on her timescales," said Eagleman. "Nature has given us the tools we need to construct our own experiences."