So far, about 100 people are going to take part in their first experiment. Two people who claim to be telepathic will each be placed on a different floor of the same building where, in their separate locations, they will have a 3-D display mounted on their heads and an electronic glove that will allow them to manipulate their virtual world. One person will be presented with a virtual object (like a football or a telephone) which they will need to focus on. The second person will then see a few different objects at once (including the one their partner is viewing) and must choose the one they think is the same as their partner's. This scenario takes place with multiple objects.

The researchers believe that this environment is more objective since people can't give each other clues or unconscious signals which they might if they were face-to-face. But they are also not trying to prove or disprove that telepathy is possible - they simply want to create a method that will be widely-accepted scientifically.

Although this may satisfy some sceptics, I think that further research into the human brain is the best way to support or disprove telepathy. There are many human experiences that science still can't explain, nor disprove, and the working of our brain is so intricate and complex that the knowledge we have today is really just scratching the surface.

In the meantime, for those of you who are more open-minded about telepathy, there is an online experiment that you can participate in which is being conducted by the well-known, eccentric biologist Rupert Sheldrake: http://www.sheldrake.org/experiments/oltnew/start.html.It involves email telepathy, and if nothing else, it could be a good way to get back in touch with some distant friends.

For more info:

The University of Manchester - Virtual reality puts telepathy to the test
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/pressreleases/telepathy/

Sheldrake Online - Presenting the Work of Dr. Rupert Sheldrake, Biologist and Author
http://www.sheldrake.org/