MIT researchers have published a detailed guide, or "roadmap," for applying transcranial focused ultrasound to the study of consciousness. The noninvasive technology can precisely stimulate deep regions of the brain that were previously off-limits, and could finally let scientists test cause-and-effect in consciousness research, not just observe correlations. Until now, consciousness researchers have faced a stark choice: either watch brain scans passively or go under the knife. For the first time in history, one can modulate activity deep in the brain, centimeters from the scalp, examining subcortical structures with high spatial resolution. The tool could help address the hard problem of consciousness by probing where in the brain are the neural circuits that generate a sense of pain, a sense of vision, or even something as complex as human thought.
A tool that lets science finally ask instead of merely eavesdrop, the difference between knowing and guessing.