It has been about a month since Elon Musk and Neuralink put Gertrude their “cyborg pig” on display for the world. The point of this was showing off the business’s progress toward realizing a brain computer-interface. First, lets explain a bit about Neuralink, Elon Musk draws the comparison with “a fitbit in your skull with tiny wires”. A coin-sized chip is placed in a small hole which is drilled in your skull. This chip picks up signals from brain activity using 1,204 threads, which are each thinner than a human hear. The data is then transmitted by the chip via Bluetooth to devices within 5 to 10 meters for BCI uses. However, it also has the possibility to controls the messages your brain sends to neurotransmitters and other parts of your body.
The big idea behind Neuralink is that in the near future a brain implant will be developed which will allow us to control computers with our minds, brain computer interface (BCI). This projected started out to provide people with quadriplegia the opportunity to operate a computer or smartphone using solely their thought. However, Elon Musk also claimed that even further in the future, Neuralink will eventually allow computers to control our mind. Now, despite the way this sounds, this is actually not a bad thing. This is because the chip might be the solution to multiple brain damages/problems.
The device can, as aforementioned, control the messages your brain sends to neurotransmitters and other parts of your body. People who suffer from spinal injuries, have lost their mobility because their brains their brain’s neural connections are damaged and unable to communicate with their body. The Neuralink can restore this connection which will allow people to regain their mobility. The implications of the Neuralink do not stop there. Over time the Neuralink will improve human memory and brain performance which might aid in curing neurological diseases like dementia and Alzheimer. However, while the timeline for the release of the Neuralink is set within a year, it is expected that the development will continue for 25 more years until the device is at its full potential. in addition, we now know better than to always take Musk’s word for the truth…
https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/buitenland/artikel/5180240/musk-stopt-computerchip-hersenen-varken
https://gizmodo.com/elon-musk-reveals-his-cyborg-pigs-1844887278
https://thenextweb.com/neural/2020/09/30/elon-musk-put-a-computer-interface-in-a-pigs-brain-could-future-ai-turn-the-animals-against-us/
https://als.be/nl/Braintechonderneming-Elon-Musk-pakt-uit-met-gesofisticeerd-neuraal-implantaat
