A powerful example of mind control was on display at the New Zealand International Science Festival during the weekend - though not as you might expect.
While hundreds ambled through the doors of the St David Lecture Theatre Complex taking in sights both weird and wonderful, both baffling and beautiful, and often at the same time to some degree, tucked away in a quiet nook on the first floor was a display so wondrous it had to be seen to be believed.
Young minds taking flight - literally.
A mind-controlled drone powered by calm minds led to grins of joy and gasps of amazement.
Among those eager to operate the device was 8-year-old Dunedin lad Peter Hurd-Vile.
With a sensor strapped to his head, he sat quietly in a chair, eyes closed tightly in anticipation.
"Keep your eyes closed and relax,'' he was told.
The drone's operator, Zhiyi Huang, said the mind needed to be in an almost meditative state to allow brain signals to give the machine flight.
However, with each passing second, young Peter's zen crumbled further.
Finally, the four blades began to spin and the drone hovered about half a metre above the ground.
Peter's eyes widened in wonder and the concentration that allowed the marvel was broken.
When asked what calming reflections led to the moment of flight, Peter said, "I kept thinking is it going to fly or not?'' with a grin still spread across his face.
Mr Huang said the drone was a collaborative project between the department of computer science and the psychology department.
While the display at the festival had only one channel, allowing the drone to take flight, work was being undertaken to allow up to 32 channels, to manipulate direction.
And while children were drawn to the miracle of computer science, they often struggled to generate flight, he said.
"Children are much more difficult because they can't control themselves,'' he said.
"When it's taking off, they are excited.''
While incredible as a form of entertainment, the device could have wider applications.
"It's very good for training kids to know how to control themselves,'' he said.
"For education, for training kids with concentration difficulty. ADHD or things like that.''
And while the possibilities are fascinating, to Peter just getting it to fly was enough.
Festival spokeswoman Amie Richardson said about 500 people attended Sounds like Science with Dr Graham Walker and DJ Sixfootsix, selling out the St David Lecture Theatre Complex on Saturday night.
"It was hilarious.''
Many of the events yesterday were at Dunedin Botanic Garden, including birdwatching and revealing the mysteries of mistletoe and moths.
At Deborah Bay yesterday, a marine scientist introduced people to "the wild things'' of the shore.
The events today include a talk by British submarine designer Lucy Collins and the sold-out interactive workshop Fight Like a Physicist teaching a person to win a fight against a bigger opponent by using physics.
