Only humans, though, develop the physical capability to make the complex sounds of speech.

ECONOMIST: Language

"Video conferencing does not give participants the physical sensation of being in the same shared space, and certainly not the physical capability to actually carry out actions in that space, " said Prof Mandayam Srinivasan from UCL who was part of the research team behind the experiment.

BBC: Rats and humans meet via virtual reality and robotics

Department official Tony Murphy explained how the work capability assessment process was a "wide ranging" test consisting of 10 physical and seven mental, cognitive and intellectual descriptors.

BBC: Social Development Committee