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.