Can a Laser Replace MRI Scans? One Bold Experiment Says Yes

In a discovery that could reshape how we view and understand the human brain, researchers have successfully passed a laser beam through an entire human head. While it may sound like science fiction, this quiet milestone could pave the way for faster, cheaper, and noninvasive brain scans.

The work comes from a team at the University of Glasgow, who set out to push the limits of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). 

This technology already offers a portable, low-cost way to monitor brain activity, but until now, it’s only been able to peek a few centimeters beneath the skull. For anything deeper, expensive MRI machines have been the standard.

That may be about to change. By boosting the power of the laser (within safe limits) and improving the light-collection setup, scientists managed to transmit photons from one side of the skull to the other.

 It worked on just one out of eight participants—a bald man with fair skin—but it proved something previously thought impossible: a beam of light can travel through the entire human head.

The implications are huge. If refined, this technology could close the gap between inexpensive tools like EEG and high-resolution, high-cost MRI scans. In the future, diagnosing strokes, brain injuries, or tumors might not require hospital-grade equipment—just a small, light-based scanner.

What made this breakthrough even more compelling was the way the light traveled. Instead of bouncing randomly through the skull, photons followed predictable paths, especially through more transparent areas like cerebrospinal fluid. That opens the door to more targeted imaging, where specific brain regions could be scanned with precision.

To validate the experiment, researchers used 3D head models to predict photon movement and then compared the results to actual light data. The results aligned, adding credibility to what may one day be a revolutionary shift in brain imaging.

It’s early days. Scanning took 30 minutes, and the conditions were highly specific. But it's a proof of concept with massive potential.

For now, it's just one beam of light. In the future, it could be the foundation of a global leap in how doctors see the brain.

Related: The 4 States With the Most Psychopaths Might Surprise You

source https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/can-laser-replace-mri-scans-one-bold-experiment-says-yes