Finger Food for Thought

Scott Hardie | August 28, 2013
In the news: A university researcher has remotely controlled the body of another researcher, forcing him to flick a finger from across campus.

It's right for people to get excited and pass this around: It's a neat story with all kinds of science-fiction potential, good and bad. (The last paragraph of the official announcement mentions portentiously that the U.S. Army helped to fund the project.)

Here's what I'm wondering: Before this story goes any further, how is it determined that this is not a hoax? I don't believe that the university would knowingly perpetrate a fraud, nor am I accusing the two researchers of timing their movements to give the impression that they've reached a huge milestone. But given the excitement generated by this announcement and how easily it could have been faked, I would hope for some skepticism, some statements that the effect needs to be replicated by more independent researchers before any conclusions are drawn.

What do you think about this news?

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