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Science

Elon Musk's Neuralink Will Detail Progress in Computer-Brain Interface (cnet.com) 75

Neuralink, Elon Musk's fourth and least visible company, will become a bit less secretive Tuesday with a livestreamed presentation about its technology to connect computers directly to human brains. From a report: Neuralink accepted applications from some folks to attend the San Francisco event to hear "a bit about what we've been working on the last two years," but the rest of us can tune in online at 8 p.m. PT Tuesday. "Livestream details will be available on our website shortly before event start," Neuralink tweeted Sunday. Neuralink, founded in 2016, is working on a way to let human brains communicate directly with computers. Goals include fast transfer rates and quick responses, but just establishing a connection and figuring out how to exchange useful information presents immense challenges. One possible approach involves an array of flexible probes inserted into the brain with a system resembling a sewing machine, an idea described by researchers reportedly associated with Neuralink. That's a lot cruder than the organically grown nanotechnological neural laces you'll find inside the brains of sci-fi characters, but it's remarkable that the technology is even under discussion.
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Elon Musk's Neuralink Will Detail Progress in Computer-Brain Interface

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  • No implants, just modify the eggs dna first.
  • by Anonymous Coward

    Can't wait till they make porn with this

  • by SuperKendall ( 25149 ) on Tuesday July 16, 2019 @01:05AM (#58932412)

    it's remarkable that the technology is even under discussion.

    The potential benefits of anything like this technology are so vast, that it would be crazy to think people had not been thinking about this for a while. Neuralink may be more public but there have to be other companies also working on and thinking about this technology.

    I sometimes wonder if instead of physical linkages going into our brains, some kind of data exchange could be done purely over the optical nerves. We know a brain can rewire itself in lots of amazing ways, so it's not impossible to image a large about to data delivered optically in a way that a user could be trained to parse and process over time. It would perhaps be slower but I don't know how the general public would go for more invasive approaches, and would be a lot less crude than electrodes attached all around your skill.

    • "Does not seem remarkable it's being looked at"

      But you made a remark. It is remarkable. You proved that yourself, by remarking.

    • by Anonymous Coward

      The idea is old. It doesn't work.

      The problem is that, if the electrodes are large enough to be really conductive, they pick up signals from a much larger set of neurons than desired. They can detect gross signals, much like myo-electric signals measurable on the skin. Those have been measurable to control the Boston Arm designed at MIT more than 30 years ago. But there is no way to turn such a noisy, 3-D sampled and mixed signal into individual or small set of nuron signals. And the sampling necessary for t

      • by gweihir ( 88907 )

        The idea is old. It doesn't work.

        I really hope you are right. The potential for extreme abuses of this tech are staggering. It is decidedly in the group of technology better not available.

        • Agreed, there's an entire Stargate episode on the... twisted application of this technology (Learning Curve), and it is an old scifi trope/topic. I'm pretty sure quite a bit of cyberpunk revolves around this kind of technology.
    • by gweihir ( 88907 )

      And then you think about application scenarios like forced use for prisoners of any kind, political opponents, etc. and you see this is actually not a positive technology but can be used for unspeakable evil.

    • This technology has already been implemented for some time. It is known as "Reading".
  • Wild Palms Sure had it right.
  • When I can merge my conscious with a rocket, I'll be able to shoot myself to heaven.

    --
    Feels like I'm knockin' on heaven's door - Guns N' Roses

    • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Unfortunately what's likely to happen is Disney makes a direct brain interface mandatory for their new streaming service, every kid gets one and becomes addicted to their hidden mind control signal that gets overlaid over Hannah Montana reruns.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    and scientifially exploring psychedelics, altered mental states, and probing the ability to change subjective experiences via trancework?

    Move them out of the realm of hippy-dippy metaphors and into actual science, perhaps start to break down exactly how subjective experience is caused by bits of information flinging themselves around in a feedback network?

    • by ezdiy ( 2717051 )
      Cut the MkUltra, this is neurobiology. Pharmacokinetics of manic episodes, psychedelics, schizophrenia and religious trances is one of the better understood parts of brain machinery (this is just serotonin in general).

      Suggestivity ("trancework") is indeed related, but most interest lies in actually *restoring* the LSD/mood induced regulation breakdowns of 5-HT2[AB] while not turning you into a drooling robot in doing so.

      The hippy stuff is related to "profundity" effect at play in LSD/schizo episode - mo
  • as a surprise act, Keanu Reeves will come on stage and upload 320GB of data into his brain!

  • More likely that an implant will directly stimulate the pleasure center of the brain.

    Do as you are told and you will be given a pleasure zap.

Children begin by loving their parents. After a time they judge them. Rarely, if ever, do they forgive them. - Oscar Wilde

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