0:00:02 > 0:00:04This is...Absolute Genius.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07Come with us as we dive into the wonderful world of technology.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09This is mind-blowing!
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Each show we introduce you
0:00:11 > 0:00:14to geniuses whose inventions have changed the world for ever.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16We then take their tech
0:00:16 > 0:00:20and supersize it in our Genius Tech Challenge.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23The question is, can we pull it off?
0:00:23 > 0:00:24Is this his brain?
0:00:24 > 0:00:27If you love gadgets, then strap yourself in.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30- It's Genius.- Absolute Genius.
0:00:33 > 0:00:34Oi!
0:00:34 > 0:00:37On this show we're exploring the ways technology
0:00:37 > 0:00:39has helped us talk to each other.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42From the humble beginnings of the telegram...
0:00:42 > 0:00:44- Ba ba ba...- G!
0:00:44 > 0:00:48..to the future technologies that will blow your mind!
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Oh, no!
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Plus we make history with a quiz like you've never seen before.
0:00:54 > 0:00:59Welcome to the world's first ever brain-to-brain quiz!
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Today, we're talking about all things communication.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41In the past if you wanted to send a message over some distance
0:01:41 > 0:01:44you had to go there or send it by carrier pigeon.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47Like this. Fly, my pretty one!
0:01:49 > 0:01:52These days, 92% of us have one of these - a mobile phone.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54But they were invented 40 years ago,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57- and back then they looked like this! - Really heavy - massive battery.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00But today we're going to introduce you to three geniuses
0:02:00 > 0:02:02who made the art of chat even easier.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Today, we take communication for granted.
0:02:06 > 0:02:07And we love to talk,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10spending on average over half an hour on the phone
0:02:10 > 0:02:14and well over an hour hooked up to the internet every single day!
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Thanks to advances in technology, there are now loads of way to chat
0:02:18 > 0:02:20and it's never been so easy to keep in touch with people
0:02:20 > 0:02:23no matter where they are in the world.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27And later in the show we're going to show how much communication
0:02:27 > 0:02:29has moved on when we take part in
0:02:29 > 0:02:33the world's first brain-to-brain quiz!
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Today, there are loads of ways of communicating.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40From social media sites like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram...
0:02:40 > 0:02:42..face-to-face video calling and e-mails.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44But it wasn't always that easy.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46No - not until one man came along
0:02:46 > 0:02:48and developed a way of communicating over long distances.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51All you needed was some wire and an electrical pulse.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54May we introduce to you... Samuel Morse.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Beep-beep-beep-beep, beep.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00In 1837, two Brits, William Cooke and Charles Wheatstone,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03developed the first commercial telegraph.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05A telegraph is a way of communicating
0:03:05 > 0:03:08by sending electrical pulses along a wire from one point to another.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Genius! But there was a problem.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14How can you use it to actually send a message?
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Enter Samuel Morse, who invented an ingenious simple code
0:03:16 > 0:03:19of short and long beeps that made up the alphabet.
0:03:19 > 0:03:20It was known as Morse code
0:03:20 > 0:03:23and it meant that messages could be sent easily along the telegraph.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25Time to learn about this genius!
0:03:26 > 0:03:29We've come here, to the Telegraph Museum in Cornwall.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31It looks like a regular building, right?
0:03:31 > 0:03:33It's not. In the 1870s, it was the centre of communication
0:03:33 > 0:03:37for the British Empire - that's how important that building is!
0:03:37 > 0:03:39It was the hub for hi-tech communications
0:03:39 > 0:03:41for most of the world, and it even had cables
0:03:41 > 0:03:43running all the way to India!
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Good place to learn more about our genius.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51To explain all things Morse, we've got John.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54He's a telecommunications expert
0:03:54 > 0:03:57and knows everything there is to know about the code.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01John, what was actually Morse's genius?
0:04:01 > 0:04:04It was really the simplicity of his code.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07You have a dot, you have a dash, there's nothing else.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10You don't have half a dash or three-quarters of a dot,
0:04:10 > 0:04:11but with those dots and dashes
0:04:11 > 0:04:14you could send the whole of Shakespeare to Australia.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17It would take you several weeks, but you could do it.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Morse's genius was to develop a simple code
0:04:20 > 0:04:23that assigned dots and dashes to each letter of the alphabet.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27But what technology was used to send the messages?
0:04:27 > 0:04:30John, what is this contraption we see before us?
0:04:30 > 0:04:34This magnificent machine is intended to give you an electric shock.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37- Oh, great.- Don't worry - it's really to demonstrate
0:04:37 > 0:04:40- that the signal travels instantaneously...- Of course.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43..and this was the important thing to Mr Morse.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45- Communications faster than the galloping horse.- OK.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Right, so we are going to try and send a message to each other.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51- Have a go.- And get a shock while doing it.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52Look, look, look.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55So A would be bop and then a long line is a boooop.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Bop bop! That's an A.
0:04:57 > 0:04:58Excellent, beautiful.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02Obviously a real Morse code machine didn't electrocute you,
0:05:02 > 0:05:06but it did work on the same principle, and this is better!
0:05:06 > 0:05:09- OK.- My brain is telling my fingers...
0:05:09 > 0:05:10Aaah!
0:05:11 > 0:05:16- Did it?- Yeah!- Did it?- Yeah!- Oh, no, I don't want it!- Yep! It did.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17Argh!
0:05:17 > 0:05:18LAUGHING
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Although it's hilarious to electrocute Dick,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23there is a serious side to this.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25We are acting like actual Morse code receivers.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Electricity would be sent though miles of wires
0:05:27 > 0:05:31to various receiving stations all across the world.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Because of the speed electricity travels,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37it meant that messages could be sent almost instantaneously.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40It seemed simple enough - let's give it a go.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44- Ready? OK? - BEEPING
0:05:44 > 0:05:45F?
0:05:45 > 0:05:46- No.- No?
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Dot, dot, dash, dot.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Di-dar-dar dit!
0:05:50 > 0:05:51Di dar di dit.
0:05:51 > 0:05:52Ba ba ba ba.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54Ba ba ba ba.
0:05:54 > 0:05:55G!
0:05:55 > 0:05:57No!
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Maybe it's a bit harder than we first thought.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03- Ba ba ba ba! - Bu, bu, bu, bip.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05LAUGHTER
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Let's go and do it properly. Let's do it on a bigger scale
0:06:09 > 0:06:11from one building to another in the valley.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Good idea, but before we go - Morse, this one's for you!
0:06:14 > 0:06:16- BEEP! - Rude!
0:06:16 > 0:06:21The telegraph took the world by storm, and in 1857,
0:06:21 > 0:06:22the first of many cables was laid
0:06:22 > 0:06:25running from Europe to North America.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28This cut down the time it took to get a message across the ocean
0:06:28 > 0:06:32from ten days on a ship to a matter of minutes.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35John, what brings us here?
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Well, this is one end of a working genuine telegraph link.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41The other end is in an entirely separate building
0:06:41 > 0:06:44and we are going to use this to send a real message.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46- One of us is going to send a message to the other?- That's the idea.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Excellent. You stay here with that
0:06:49 > 0:06:51and send me a message, with this, over there.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53- Off you go. - Right. You come with me.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Right. What am I going to send?
0:06:56 > 0:06:59I'll think of one word that describes Dom.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04Morse Code machines could send messages over huge distances.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Today, we're just 500 metres away.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Come on. Don't take the stairs.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12As long as there was electrical wire running between the two points,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14you could send messages over any distance.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Right, Dom's in place, so I'm going to send him
0:07:18 > 0:07:20a word that best describes him,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22and that word is FIDGET.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Right, here we go.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26So F.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Dit, dit, deee, dit! So that's definitely an F.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37What was that one again? Oh, no.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Right! Let's see what he comes up with.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Did that sound about right?
0:07:57 > 0:07:59More or less.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01The first letter was feh...
0:08:02 > 0:08:04then aah...
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Bear with us, everyone, this might take some time!
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Fuff.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14What you having for tea?
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- Sausage.- Sausage.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Fuffet.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Going away?
0:08:21 > 0:08:23- Yes.- Where?- Italy, next week.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Next week? Hurry up, Dom!
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Fufeet. Fufeet.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35- And yourself? - Yeah, just got back from Ibiza.
0:08:35 > 0:08:36- Very nice.- Mm.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42And then there was a definite dee-dit-dit. FID.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Right, I've got it. And I know this is definitely the word!
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Ah, what's that I hear? The pitter-patter of tiny feet?
0:08:54 > 0:08:57You got a word? It was the word to best describe you.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Is the word...FIDGET?
0:09:00 > 0:09:02- Yes!- Unbelievable.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Result, and that is all thanks to this man.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Morse, you are an absolute genius.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Bip-beep-beep...
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Thanks to the invention of Morse code
0:09:12 > 0:09:14and the genius of the electrical pulse,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17we could chat all across the world almost instantly.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20After this, the way we communicate changed for ever.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Still to come we find out how this...
0:09:24 > 0:09:26BOOM
0:09:26 > 0:09:28..paved the way for Wi-Fi...
0:09:30 > 0:09:32And we see how technology might make our brains...
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Oh, no!
0:09:34 > 0:09:35..the phones of the future.
0:09:35 > 0:09:36That is genius.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39But not all communication has been so great...
0:09:39 > 0:09:44- because now it's time for... - The Not So Genius Idea...
0:09:45 > 0:09:47The year 2000 saw the arrival
0:09:47 > 0:09:50of a new hi-tech way for us all to communicate...
0:09:50 > 0:09:52..the Amstrad E-mailer!
0:09:52 > 0:09:55It was released at a time when we were all discovering the internet.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59And this fantastical device allowed us to send texts,
0:09:59 > 0:10:04receive e-mails, surf the web and make calls,
0:10:04 > 0:10:09all from a landline phone that had a keyboard built into it.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11All quite impressive.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13But back when it was released,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16there were already loads of websites offering free e-mail,
0:10:16 > 0:10:21and the Amstrad E-mailer used to charge you every time you sent one.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Ooh!
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Definitely not so genius.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33We've already witnessed the genius of Morse,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35who revolutionised the way we communicated
0:10:35 > 0:10:38through the telegraph, but things have moved on a lot since then.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Nowadays we all communicate
0:10:40 > 0:10:44using our mobile phones, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47But none of that would have been possible without our next genius,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50scientist and Hollywood actor Hedy Lamarr.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53You sound as if you disapprove.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55During the Second World War,
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Hedy Lamarr was married to a man who sold weapons to the Nazis.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00Fearing for her life,
0:11:00 > 0:11:04Hedy fled Europe to America where she became a Hollywood actor.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08And she came up with a secret communications system that allowed
0:11:08 > 0:11:13torpedoes to override jamming signals so they hit their target.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15- Really?- Really.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Hedy's system was later adapted
0:11:17 > 0:11:20so that messages could be sent by the military secretly.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24And later it became crucial in the development of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27which is used in loads of communication gadgets
0:11:27 > 0:11:29that we use today.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32But how on earth does this technology work?
0:11:32 > 0:11:34I don't know... Maybe there's some wireless connection
0:11:34 > 0:11:37- that's invisible or something? - I have absolutely no idea.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39Oi!
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Are you ready?
0:11:42 > 0:11:43Meet Fran, our scientist friend
0:11:43 > 0:11:47who can explain things in a way even we can understand.
0:11:47 > 0:11:48Oh!
0:11:48 > 0:11:51And she loves a good experiment.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53- Exactly.- Best of all, she pops up whenever we need her most.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59I heard you two want to know how Wi-Fi and Bluetooth works.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01- Yes, please. - Of course they do!
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Well, I've got a way to explain it that even you two will understand.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07- Even us two?- Even you two! - What you trying to say, Franny?
0:12:07 > 0:12:09I like the sound of this.
0:12:10 > 0:12:11Now this is a radio-controlled car.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13- It's not, is it?!- Ten points.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15OK, I'm starting simple with you guys.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18But the reason it's a called a radio-controlled car
0:12:18 > 0:12:21is because the way the signal gets through from my controller
0:12:21 > 0:12:26to the car is via invisible waves of energy called radio waves.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29The thing is we don't only use radio waves to control cars -
0:12:29 > 0:12:32we also use them to transmit television programmes,
0:12:32 > 0:12:36to look at objects in space. We also use them
0:12:36 > 0:12:38to exchange information with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41But the fact that we use them for so many different things
0:12:41 > 0:12:43does lead to some problems.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45- So you mean they crash into each other.- Exactly.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47It's known as interference -
0:12:47 > 0:12:49what happens is the signal from one radio wave
0:12:49 > 0:12:53can stop another radio wave getting through as it should.
0:12:53 > 0:12:54Let me show you, right?
0:12:54 > 0:12:56This is your controller, or your transmitter.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59- There you go.- Oh, exciting, hey? Brings back to the school days.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01And this is your car!
0:13:01 > 0:13:02What's that?!
0:13:02 > 0:13:05This is a radio-controlled car with blowtorch on top.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08- Of course it is, Fran. - So that's your car.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12Your mission is to drive your car - and blowtorch - to that fuse.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Light the fuse and set the reaction going.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19What our Fran is actually getting us to do
0:13:19 > 0:13:22is recreate Hedy Lamarr's original genius idea
0:13:22 > 0:13:24to get a torpedo to hit its target.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Torpedoes used to use a fixed radio frequency to guide them.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29This meant they could easily be intercepted,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32which would mean they would miss.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34So in this experiment, our remote control car
0:13:34 > 0:13:38is the torpedo and the barrel is our submarine.
0:13:38 > 0:13:39Bring it on.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41So we actually get to do this?
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Yeah, I trust you guys, which might be a mistake, to do it.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47- I'll light the blowtorch, then. - No, no, I'll light the blowtorch.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51- You don't trust us.- No. Let's go to our starting point over here.
0:13:51 > 0:13:52With us all in place,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54it's time to send our remote-controlled torpedo
0:13:54 > 0:13:56on its way.
0:13:56 > 0:13:57Go!
0:14:01 > 0:14:03That's it! Go on, a bit more.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Oh, it's stuck - it's not moving.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Hold on a minute - what's this?
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Well, the thing is, I've got a controller, as well,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13so what I'm doing is I'm controlling it at the same time.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16So my radio waves are interfering with your radio waves.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Your signal can't get through, and you can't control your car.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22But this was where Hedy Lamarr's genius was, right?
0:14:22 > 0:14:25She thought, instead of just transmitting on the same frequency,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28there were loads of radio wave frequencies.
0:14:28 > 0:14:33So what you can do it actually hop or jump from frequency to frequency
0:14:33 > 0:14:36to frequency, and each one has a little bit of the message.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38So then if you get interference
0:14:38 > 0:14:40it's only a little bit of your message that gets lost.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42And using that method of frequency-hopping,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46she could make sure the torpedo could get to its target submarine.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49So all you need to do is change the frequency on your transmitter.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52- So if you change it to another one...- Right, ready.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54- Let's do it.- OK.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56Right, going towards it.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Left a bit, left a bit.
0:14:58 > 0:14:59Right a bit.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01That's it!
0:15:01 > 0:15:02Oh!
0:15:04 > 0:15:07It's going to go! It's going to go!
0:15:07 > 0:15:10BOOM
0:15:10 > 0:15:12- Bosh!- Boom!
0:15:12 > 0:15:14- Amazing.- Nice work!
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Double bosh!
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Torpedo hits submarine.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22That's all down to Hedy Lamarr and her frequency-hopping
0:15:22 > 0:15:25and by doing that, your signal could get through to your car
0:15:25 > 0:15:27and we could get the explosion.
0:15:27 > 0:15:28Well done, Hedy.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Explosive stuff, boys.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34With Hedy's invention of frequency-hopping,
0:15:34 > 0:15:36communications now weren't restricted to using
0:15:36 > 0:15:38one radio frequency,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40and interference was a thing of the past.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42This technology is now used in Wi-Fi to give us
0:15:42 > 0:15:45a seamless connection to the internet
0:15:45 > 0:15:48as it hops from frequency to frequency without us even knowing!
0:15:48 > 0:15:52Now we can even video call the other side of the world
0:15:52 > 0:15:55and it's all thanks to Hedy's explosive genius!
0:15:55 > 0:15:57BOOM
0:15:57 > 0:15:59THEY LAUGH
0:16:01 > 0:16:02Still to come!
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Dick and I are going to be using our brains in a quiz like no other.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Go on, lad!
0:16:08 > 0:16:11We'll only be able to answer using the power of our minds.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17Thanks to today's technology, we use electricity to communicate.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20And we can connect anywhere in the world, thanks to Wi-Fi.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24But how are we going to communicate in the future?
0:16:24 > 0:16:25What? have you got it yet?
0:16:25 > 0:16:28- I can't read minds!- Ah, well, you might be able to one day,
0:16:28 > 0:16:29thanks to our next genius.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Introducing Giulio Ruffini.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Buenos dias, boys.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36What?
0:16:36 > 0:16:39I'm having a private chat, with him. Do you mind?
0:16:42 > 0:16:43Just concentrate.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Ever since the word "telepathy" was first used to describe
0:16:46 > 0:16:48sending thoughts to one another,
0:16:48 > 0:16:53it only seemed only possible in science fiction and horror stories.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55But with advances in technology,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Ruffini and his team, in 2014,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00managed to achieve the impossible.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02He managed to get two people,
0:17:02 > 0:17:03one in France and one in India,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06to communicate by their thoughts alone.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Truly genius!
0:17:11 > 0:17:13To explain this futuristic technology
0:17:13 > 0:17:15is top brain scientist
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Dr Alejandro Riera.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21He's got over 10 years' experience working with brains.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Alejandro, lovely to meet you. How you doing?
0:17:24 > 0:17:26- Nice to meet you too. - So, thanks to Ruffini,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28you were the first person to send a message
0:17:28 > 0:17:30- from your brain to another brain? - That's right.
0:17:30 > 0:17:31How do you do that?
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Well, by using this technology,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35decoding some information from the brain,
0:17:35 > 0:17:37I was thinking some thoughts and
0:17:37 > 0:17:38the same information was imputing
0:17:38 > 0:17:40from one brain to another brain.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42My brain's starting to hurt just thinking about this.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44Are we going to be able to communicate
0:17:44 > 0:17:47and have whole conversations without talking?
0:17:47 > 0:17:49In the future, it will be possible.
0:17:49 > 0:17:50Actually, in our case,
0:17:50 > 0:17:51we were able to say hello and
0:17:51 > 0:17:53we took one hour and a half.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57So, at the moment I think it's much faster to send an e-mail.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59But everything started somewhere, right?
0:17:59 > 0:18:01This sounds like the very beginnings of the future
0:18:01 > 0:18:02of how we are going to do things.
0:18:02 > 0:18:03- Can we have a go?- Yeah, sure.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Everything seems a little bit complicated,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08but I think it's better if I just show you how it works.
0:18:08 > 0:18:09Sounds good.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12I think this is going to be a lot of fun!
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Right, I am now a human guinea pig, but, Alejandro,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17why have I go this attached to my head?
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Well, we have attached this system to your head
0:18:19 > 0:18:21in order to see your brainwaves and to show
0:18:21 > 0:18:25how these brainwaves represent in this nice model.
0:18:25 > 0:18:26In which, we can see, for instance,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28when a person thinks about moving his feet,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31we will have activity in this point, just on top of the head,
0:18:31 > 0:18:33and, when thinking about moving the hands,
0:18:33 > 0:18:35we will have activity in these two parts of the brain.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37So, what you're saying is different thoughts
0:18:37 > 0:18:40- cause activity in different parts of the brain?- Exactly.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43And, in this instance, just thinking about his feet
0:18:43 > 0:18:46makes this part of his brain active, and hands, here.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48So, that means you at home, have a go.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50Think about moving your feet now.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53You doing it? You're using that bit of your brain!
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Think about moving your hands, just think. You're using here.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57That's incredible.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00By understanding how different parts of the brain are used,
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Ruffini's team were able to design a simple bat-and-ball game.
0:19:03 > 0:19:04Whenever Dick thinks of his feet,
0:19:04 > 0:19:06the ball goes down,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08and thinking only of his hands makes the ball go up.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12The idea is to hit the target, by the power of your thoughts.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Look! Dick's brain!
0:19:15 > 0:19:19By doing this, it's possible to send a two-word message,
0:19:19 > 0:19:20or even Morse code!
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Whoo-hoo!
0:19:22 > 0:19:26To be totally clear, I'm only THINKING about moving my hands
0:19:26 > 0:19:28and THINKING about moving my feet -
0:19:28 > 0:19:31- I am not actually going to move them.- Exactly.- Right.
0:19:31 > 0:19:32Service.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37- There we go.- The trick is to not to move, not to speak.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39By only thinking of my hands or feet,
0:19:39 > 0:19:41I'm actually moving the ball to hit the target -
0:19:41 > 0:19:45but it's really difficult and takes a lot of concentration.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48See what I mean?
0:19:51 > 0:19:54(Yes! That's incredible.)
0:19:54 > 0:19:57But with some practice, I start to get the hang of it.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00- Hands, hands, hands, hands!- Good.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02It's amazing.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05And he's really doing that, just by thinking about his hands?
0:20:05 > 0:20:08That's the sending part of communication under control,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12but how does someone receive the message in their brain?
0:20:13 > 0:20:14Hi, Chris. How are you doing?
0:20:14 > 0:20:15What's your job?
0:20:15 > 0:20:17So, I'm running the stimulators
0:20:17 > 0:20:19that are going to transmit
0:20:19 > 0:20:21the information we get from Dick's brain
0:20:21 > 0:20:23into Hannah's head.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26So, these machines will send an electrical pulse
0:20:26 > 0:20:27into Hannah's brain,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30which will then tell her to move her hand.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Yep. They're big magnets,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34so they work by magnetism
0:20:34 > 0:20:38and they make the brain activity change
0:20:38 > 0:20:40and that should make her hands twitch.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42So, if we stimulate on the right-hand side of her brain,
0:20:42 > 0:20:44it should make her left hand twitch.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46By sending strong magnetic pulses
0:20:46 > 0:20:47to different areas of your brain,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50it can make you move different parts of your body -
0:20:50 > 0:20:52whether you want to move them or not.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55This is truly future tech.
0:20:55 > 0:20:56- So, Hannah...- Yes.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58..are you totally fine with this?
0:20:58 > 0:21:00I am totally fine with this.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Right, we need to see this.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05OK, so...
0:21:05 > 0:21:07- ELECTRICAL CLICK - Oh, no.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Hang on a minute, is that actually hurting you?
0:21:09 > 0:21:11It sounds like an electrical shock is making you twitch.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14- Is it like a shock? - No, it doesn't hurt at all.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17- It's just stimulating your brain to make your hand move.- Yes.
0:21:17 > 0:21:18THAT is genius.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23By using technology that observes
0:21:23 > 0:21:24different activities in your brain,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Ruffini has written computer programmes that can send messages
0:21:27 > 0:21:30just from your thoughts.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Hands, hands, hands.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34And, by using electronic pulses,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36the message can then be transferred
0:21:36 > 0:21:38into someone else's head.
0:21:41 > 0:21:42Oh, no!
0:21:42 > 0:21:45I think we need to put this state-of-the-art tech to use
0:21:45 > 0:21:48in our genius tech challenge.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Here's the plan.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55Using the technology developed by our third genius, Ruffini,
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Dick and I are going head-to-head
0:21:57 > 0:21:59with brainbox Alejandro Riera,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02in the first ever brain-to-brain quiz!
0:22:02 > 0:22:05We'll each be given three incredibly easy questions
0:22:05 > 0:22:07where we'll try to communicate the answers,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10just by the power of thought.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Using the bat-and-ball game, from earlier in the show,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15we will have to hit the target if the answer's A
0:22:15 > 0:22:17and miss it for B.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19The question is, will the power of our brains
0:22:19 > 0:22:21be enough to beat Alejandro's?
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Time to get this quiz started...
0:22:25 > 0:22:27It's that time of the week again,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30where we get the old grey matter working.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33It's the only show where you don't say the answers,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35you think them!
0:22:35 > 0:22:38It's The Brain Game!
0:22:38 > 0:22:41And here's our very own brain -
0:22:41 > 0:22:43- science queen Fran! - APPLAUSE
0:22:43 > 0:22:48Welcome to the world's first ever brain-to-brain quiz.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51And our contestants today are...
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Alejandro, a pioneer of brain to brain technology.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57His PhD is in computational intelligent techniques
0:22:57 > 0:22:59applied to electro-physicality data analysis.
0:22:59 > 0:23:00APPLAUSE
0:23:00 > 0:23:03And, on my left, we have Dick and Dom.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05ONE PERSON COUGHS AMID SILENCE
0:23:05 > 0:23:08There's going to be three questions each
0:23:08 > 0:23:10and the answer will either be A or B.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14You've got only the power of your brain to come up with the answer.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Alejandro, please take your seat.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20APPLAUSE
0:23:20 > 0:23:22This is not your typical quiz,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25because it's not about knowing the answer,
0:23:25 > 0:23:29it's about being able to send it using just the power of your brain.
0:23:29 > 0:23:30Once an answer has been given,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33it will be transferred into Hannah's brain
0:23:33 > 0:23:36and will make her arms involuntarily twitch.
0:23:36 > 0:23:37Twitchy!
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Alejandro, are you ready?
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Here comes your first question.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48In what year was the internet invented?
0:23:56 > 0:23:58The first ever bits of information
0:23:58 > 0:24:01were sent over the internet back in 1969.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03So, Alejandro has to think the right answer
0:24:03 > 0:24:06to send it to Hannah.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08And his answer is...
0:24:08 > 0:24:09A.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Correct.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14It's a good start for Alejandro,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17but now time for Dick to get his brain into gear.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Go on, Rich.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Here's your first question.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24How many words do we speak, on average, in one day?
0:24:32 > 0:24:34A billion words is a lot of talking,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37so the answer is 13,000,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40which Dick has to think up to Hannah -
0:24:40 > 0:24:41but does he have the brainpower?
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Correct, my old friend!
0:24:50 > 0:24:53It's one-all. Alejandro must now try to take the lead.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56In what year was the telephone invented?
0:25:04 > 0:25:10Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone back in 1876.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Alejandro must concentrate hard to send the right answer
0:25:13 > 0:25:15to Hannah's brain.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Well done!
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Alejandro has two answers correct,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26the pressure is now well and truly on for Dom
0:25:26 > 0:25:28as his brain takes the stage.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Which language has the most words for snow?
0:25:39 > 0:25:43There are 50 different words for snow in Inuit!
0:25:43 > 0:25:47Dom has to try and send the answer B to Hannah's brain.
0:25:50 > 0:25:51That is incorrect, young man!
0:25:51 > 0:25:55It's Alejandro's third and final question.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58If he gets this right, there's no way back for the boys.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01What percentage of the world's population
0:26:01 > 0:26:03has access to the internet?
0:26:11 > 0:26:15A recently study showed that just over 40% of the world's
0:26:15 > 0:26:18population had access to the internet.
0:26:18 > 0:26:24If Alejandro can send the answer A to Hannah's brain, he wins.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Yes!
0:26:34 > 0:26:37That, of course, means today's winner is Alejandro,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41but commiserations to the losers, Dick and Dom.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43- Congratulations! - Congratulations, old boy!
0:26:43 > 0:26:46It doesn't surprise me one bit that a doctor of neuro-science
0:26:46 > 0:26:48beat Dick and Dom!
0:26:51 > 0:26:54On today's show, we've learnt that the way we communicate
0:26:54 > 0:26:58has been made much easier, thanks to today's geniuses.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Their genius ideas have made it possible to keep in touch
0:27:00 > 0:27:03with everyone almost instantly.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07And we've had a glimpse at the communication of the future!
0:27:07 > 0:27:08It's amazing!
0:27:08 > 0:27:11- They're all... - Bip-bip-bip-bip-beep.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13- BOTH: Absolute Genius!- Whoo-hoo!
0:27:18 > 0:27:19THEY LAUGH
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Argh!
0:27:25 > 0:27:27THEY LAUGH
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Where's Rich gone?
0:27:30 > 0:27:32- It's stopped!- Argh!
0:27:32 > 0:27:34The long line is a... Beep!
0:27:34 > 0:27:35ARGH!
0:27:35 > 0:27:36Wow.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38His head's fallen off.
0:27:38 > 0:27:39How did you find that?
0:27:39 > 0:27:40"Blew my head off."
0:27:40 > 0:27:43THEY LAUGH You can't end it like that.