Whether it’s hoverboards, tractor beams or virtual reality sex machines, the sci-fi of the future is quickly blurring into the reality of today. The dystopian dreamscapes of Blade Runner and Dune, once reserved for our deepest and darkest nightmares, are steadily becoming more and more credible, with technology plowing a new path for artificial intelligence. The latest step into this brave (and terrifying) new world? Uploadable knowledge. Or, more specifically, a hat that will add new skills and information to your lame little human brain.

According to researchers from California’s HRL Laboratories, a new simulator has been created that is able to feed knowledge directly into your mind, allowing you to learn the skills you’ve always wanted while wearing an electrode-embedded head cap.

“Our system is one of the first of its kind,” explains Dr. Matthew Phillips in the press release. “It’s a brain stimulation system. It sounds kind of sci-fi, but there’s large scientific basis for the development of our system. The specific task we were looking at was piloting an aircraft, which requires a synergy of both cognitive and motor performance. When you learn something, your brain physically changes. Connections are made and strengthened in a process called neuroplasticity. It turns out that certain functions of the brain, like speech and memory, are located in very specific regions of the brain, about the size of your pinky.”

Apparently, the machine was tested on novice air pilots as they learned to fly, with results showing that those who received the added brain simulation fared 33 per cent better than a placebo group. While it’s an admittedly soft start, Phillips is confident it will involve into something much bigger – helping users drive, learn new languages and prepare for exams.

“What our system does is it actually targets those changes to specific regions of the brain as you learn,” adds Dr Phillips. “The method itself is actually quite old. In fact, the ancient Egyptians 4,000 years ago used electric fish to stimulate and reduce pain. Even Ben Franklin applied currents to his head, but the rigorous, scientific investigation of these methods started in the early 2000s and we’re building on that research to target and personalise a stimulation in the most effective way possible. Your brain is going to be very different to my brain when we perform a task. What we found is… brain stimulation seems to be particularly effective at actually improving learning.”

So what does this mean? And what would we use it for? I asked some of the Dazed staff for their initial thoughts.

“I would have an encyclopedic fashion knowledge implanted into my brain because the internet is a really poor fashion archive. You look up designers on Wikipedia and there’s nothing there. A lot of significant industry history or knowledge only lives in obscure, expensive books, or in people’s minds.” – Emma Hope Allwood, Fashion Features Editor

“Just more.” – Lauren Ford, Photographic Director

“Encyclopedic knowledge of the universe; solar system, stars, moons, tides, suns, planets. It will come in handy when the world's ending – if nothing else, at least, it will give me pretty things to dream about.” – Ashleigh Kane, Arts & Culture Editor

“I would have that ability to talk to animals, so I could be like Eliza Thornberry and have animal friends. I would make them do my bidding.” – Ted Stansfield, Fashion News Writer

“I’m really interested in astrology, so I think it would be quite impressive to list off all the star sign meanings, and be able to tell people about themselves. You could just be like, ‘What star sign are you?’ and then just list off everything about them to freak them out.” – Saorla Houston, Photographic Producer

“I would like the ability to feel empathy (lol jk), or a direct news feed in my brain for #content’s sake. Maybe a constant stream of uplifting viral cat vids.” – Ione Gamble, Staff Writer

“I would like to have the ability to speak any language instantaneously loaded up into my brain, so you could just go on holiday and flip a switch and be speaking Japanese or whatever. I think about this weirdly often, actually.” – Sirin Kale, Staff Writer