Innovation of the week: Serenity now

Serenity may be a few smartphone taps away, said Heather Somerville in the San Jose Mercury News. Thync, a Bluetooth-connected device that attaches to the forehead, purports to deliver a "mood-altering fix" by stimulating nerves near the brain with electricity. Using a linked smartphone app, wearers can choose to receive either "calm vibes" or "energy vibes."

Thync's inventors, a Silicon Valley veteran and a neuroscience expert, say their goal is to provide "an alternative to alcohol or Red Bull" for busy professionals looking "to wind down or rev up." The device has been rigorously tested. Over the past year and a half, the company has conducted placebo-controlled studies of Thync on some 3,500 people and seen "changes in users' temperature, body chemistry, and facial expression" as their brains were stimulated. The device starts at $299.

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