Fictional:

• The entirety of the W.C.K.D. Maze Simulation seems unfeasible and more fantastical even though some aspects of the Maze are current and existing.

• The mechanical/robotics side of the Griever may be possible to recreate, but the entire monster in itself is unrealistic. Its killer mentality and agility the machine cannot be mimicked. Current advances in this technology can be seen with Boston Dynamics, which is still a long ways away from the capabilities of Grievers [2].

• The memory altercation and submission is a tool that has been explored in plenty of television shows and films. For example, the Neuralyzer is a well-known memory eraser from the film Men in Black. Beyond the realm of science fiction, there is some research on using psychological tools through technology that suggests our memories and decision making can be purposely affected. Based on a study published in the Neuroscience of Consciousness, subliminal messaging through can affect a person's delayed decision making [1]. While this is not close to the level of altering specific memories in people as shown in the film, it shows that technology and psychology together can manipulate human behavior.

Current:

• The automatic package delivery where a new person and supplies arrive is simply just an elevator.

• Monitor devices are used all the time today as it is easier than ever to be tracked. Whether it be an ankle bracelet, surveillance cameras, or simply your cell phone, the majority of society have a monitoring device on them every day.

• The electronic device found in the Griever that Thomas destroyed opened up a door corresponding to the Griever. This technology is seen today with proximity sensors. Some examples include automatic doors and lights [3] as well as RFID tags that we use to open doors at WPI!

Possible:

• The scale of the maze might be unrealistic, but I believe it would be possible to physically recreate the maze without certain aspects of it. The maze changing every night would most likely not be possible to replicate, as the walls of the maze are around 100 feet tall and made of concrete [4]. Based on the interview with the VFX artist, the Glade was meant to be about 900 meters square with the maze in a circle around them. Based on the movie, it seems like the maze was about 1 km in radius which makes the total area of maze concrete (both for the floor and the walls) about 2.3 km^2. Overall with the height of the walls included, we estimate that the maze would require about 35 million cubic meters of concrete!

• The brain activity monitors that W.C.K.D. uses to monitor the Gladers partially exists today, such as with Electrocorticography and Electroencephalograms (EEG). The former is implanted, but doesn't measure as much activity, and the latter seems to be closer to what is shown in the movie but has external electrodes placed on the person's scalp [5, 6]. As of today, Elon Musk and his neuroscience company Neuralink are working on a brain implant device. Although the purpose of the device would be to extend/restore human capabilities, it would still monitor brain activity. [7]

References:

[1] Simon Ruch, Marc Alain Züst, Katharina Henke, Subliminal messages exert long-term effects on decision-making, Neuroscience of Consciousness, Volume 2016, Issue 1, 2016, niw013, https://doi.org/10.1093/nc/niw013

[2] "More Parkour Atlas", Boston Dynamics (September 2019) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sBBaNYex3E

[3] “Home.” KMIC, 13 Oct. 2013, kmindustrialcorp.com/frequently-asked-questions/what-are-proximity-sensors/.

[4] Vincent Frei, "The Maze Runner: Sue Rowe - VFX supervisor" (October 2014), http://www.artofvfx.com/the-maze-runner-sue-rowe-vfx-supervisor-method-studios/

[5] Keene, D. L., Whiting, S., & Ventureyra, E. C. (2000). "Electrocorticography". Epileptic Disorders : International Epilepsy Journal with Videotape, 2(1), 57–63, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10937174/

[6] "Electroencephalogram (EEG)", Johns Hopkins Medicine, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/electroencephalogram-eeg

[7] Regalado, Antonio. “Elon Musk's Neuralink Is Neuroscience Theater.” MIT Technology Review, MIT Technology Review, 30 Aug. 2020, www.technologyreview.com/2020/08/30/1007786/elon-musks-neuralink-demo-update-neuroscience-theater.