Scientists are using terahertz waves to study tiny structures in brain cells, microtubules, that may be linked to consciousness. The waves, which sit higher on the electromagnetic spectrum, can read subtle vibrational “fingerprints” of molecules without the damaging effects of x-rays. However, studying microtubule in a living brain is more challenging than simply tweaking them with drugs or manipulating them directly to observe their behavior. Researchers are now debating whether quantum effects in the brain are real, measurable, or just theoretical. If successful studies show terrahertz scanners can reliably detect this faint molecular activity inside the working brain, these could be the first noninvasive window into the quantum heartbeat of awareness. However sceptics argue that these signals may be just noise or heat artifacts.