TOUCH

The sense of touch is an invisible force of human nature. Not only does it perceive tiny elements that our eyes can’t see, it also plays a vital role in our lives. It has an important influence on our physical capacity, our cerebral functioning, and our well-being. Science has pushed the limits of nature, thanks to technological touch. It is now possible to virtually touch and move objects that are invisible or located thousands of kilometers away. A simple movement in the air is enough to control them. Medical technology has even succeeded in giving a sense of touch to bionic limbs made of metal, plastic, wires, and processors. Slowly but surely, prostheses are starting to perform better than natural limbs. Virtual touch will soon be part of our daily lives. How far will this revolution take us?

SIGHT

The science of sight has entered a new era. We are starting to understand how a few rare individuals are able to see better, or see faster. We meet a woman who can see a hundred more colors than the average human being, and a heavyweight boxer who undergoes sophisticated training to increase the acuity and speed of his visual reflexes. We discover how technology is starting to replace or enhance vision for those who have lost it. We witness the moment when a husband and father, equipped with an experimental retinal implant, sees his wife and child for the first time. We meet a young student who can “see” with his tongue. And we learn how connectivity and miniaturization can give blind people the gift of seeing through another person’s eyes.

HEARING

As the mysteries of hearing are revealed, we see how technology and scientific progress are working to restore, replace, or supercharge this powerful human sense. We meet a blind man whose hearing is so acute that he can navigate a bike by the sound of the echo of a click. As technology starts to merge with humanity, we meet the recipients of cochlear implants who demonstrate how the brain can learn to interpret a new synthetic sense. We discover hearing aids that surpass the ear’s natural acoustic abilities and can even read the brain’s intentions. There are researchers working to use sound to improve cognition and memory while we sleep. And we learn how one company is developing an innovative, effective technology that uses the skin as a conduit to transmit sound to the brain.

TASTE AND SMELL

Smelling is as natural as breathing. Sixteen times a minute, you breathe the air that passes through your nose to fill your lungs. Billions of molecules passing through your nasal cavities are captured by the cells of your olfactory organ. In your genetic code, 400 genes make up the receptors of your sense of smell. You are able to smell billions of odors. Scientists and others are presently working in the realms of taste and smell to understand their powers. They are bringing to light the mystery that, from conception to adulthood, reveals a fabulous potential. Tomorrow, your nose will help you uncover disease, vanquish pain, and lower your stress level; it will make you feel safe and help you learn; it will improve your well-being and your social life.

ORCHESTRA OF THE SENSES

Sight, touch, hearing, taste, and smell send sensory messages to the brain at a speed of 430 kmh. The two cerebral hemispheres deal with 11 million information signals per second—an imperceptible and continual effort. This continual flow of information is sorted and analyzed by the brain, which directs the senses, organizes them, and improves them without any technological intervention. The brain’s plasticity, which we are only beginning to understand allows it to continually adapt. If you lose one sense, the brain reorganizes and compensates by increasing the power of the other senses. Like an extraordinarily talented blind artist who is able to use his fingers to feel the color of the paint before applying it to the canvas.