Humans May Possess a “Seventh Sense,” New Research Suggests
LONDON, UK – November 8, 2025 – In a discovery challenging conventional understanding of human perception, scientists from Queen Mary University of London and University College London have found evidence suggesting humans can detect objects before physical contact – a capability previously thought exclusive to certain bird species. The findings,presented November 7th at the International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL),point to what researchers are calling a “remote touch” ability.
The study reveals that participants were able to detect a hidden cube beneath sand with an average accuracy of 70.7% before making physical contact. This contrasts with customary views of touch as a strictly proximity-based sense. Researchers observed that humans, like some coastal birds that locate prey by sensing vibrations, can recognize buried objects through minute displacements in sand particles.
“This is the first evidence of remote touch in humans,” explains Elisabetta Versace,leader of Queen MaryS Prepared Minds Laboratory and creator of the project,in a report by Galileu Magazine. “This discovery changes our understanding about the limits of perception.”
To further illustrate the human capability, researchers compared performance to a robotic sensor utilizing a long-term memory (LSTM) algorithm. While the robot could detect objects at greater distances, its accuracy was substantially lower, at just 40%.
Lorenzo Jamone, a co-author from University college London, emphasized the interdisciplinary nature of the research, stating that it ”exemplifies the convergence between psychology, robotics and artificial intelligence.” He suggests the results indicate that human biology may harbor unexplored perceptual capabilities, potentially representing a “seventh sense” still in development.
Beyond essential scientific understanding, the research has potential technological implications. scientists envision the development of tools that enhance tactile sensitivity, with applications ranging from robots capable of safely locating archaeological artifacts to improved exploration of challenging environments like those found underwater or underground.