A recent study led by Canadian researchers has made a remarkable discovery about the human brain, revealing that it emits a faint glow that varies with activity. This phenomenon, known as biophoton emission, is invisible to the naked eye but could hold significant biological information.

Dr Nirosha Murugan an assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada said that  measuring this brain light could “change the field of neuroscience” by giving scientists and doctors new ways to scan the brain, to potentially find signs of disorders such as epilepsy, dementia or depression.

This light could even be playing a role inside our brains, rather than just being a byproduct of its function. Murugan said that studying it could “reveal a hidden dimension” of the inner workings of our minds.

“We hope the prospect of detecting and deciphering light signals from the brain will inspire new questions that were previously unthinkable,” she said. “For example, because UPEs travel through the skull, could they possibly influence other brains in the environment?” This new discovery could give ground to a fascinating leap in understanding the human mind.

Biologist Hayley Casey from Algoma University in Canada and her team also calculated the weak glow emanating from the human brain. They found that the intensity of this glow changes based on brain activity, suggesting a potential new method for monitoring brain health, dubbed "photoencephalography".

Further research is needed to explore the full potential of photoencephalography and its applications in understanding brain function and health.  This new discovery could help mapping neurological disorders, and potentially revolutionize treatment and cure.