Elon Musk has been in and out of the headlines these last few months. From his Twitter deal to his sudden and rough decisions regarding the platform.
Throughout this drama, the general public has forgotten why Elon Musk is where he is right now. He is one of the most brilliant people on this planet. From the invention of Tesla to numerous developments with the car, Elon Musk is no stranger to divisive and absurd concepts. He has promised to have a prototype of a 5’8″ tall robot butler available sometime in 2022. Has considered nuking Mars to make it more habitable, and mass-produced a “flamethrower” that was immediately outlawed in numerous jurisdictions.
Musk’s Neuralink Project
The 2016-founded company Neuralink is developing a brain implant that will allow paralyzed people to move again and treat other neurological conditions. Neuralink is one of several odd ventures Musk has undertaken. a brain implant that claims to improve cognitive function, help people with disabilities, interact with electrical equipment, and even transfer their memories to the cloud. Although it may sound grandiose, Neuralink’s testing has advanced significantly.
If Neuralink fulfills an earlier forecast from Elon Musk, it might go from operating on monkeys to human trials within the year. He originally mentioned his work with the monkey implants in February and then stated the company intended to begin human trials by the end of the year.
The implant is made up of a chip and a few minute threads that connect to different regions of the brain. Additionally, a wireless charger is available so that users can charge their Neuralink implant from the outside. People would learn how to interact with the device and pair it with other Bluetooth-enabled things using an app.
Brain activity can be read and written by the chip implants. Musk calls the brain-machine interface “a Fitbit in your skull” and thinks it could do anything from cure paralysis to grant people psychic abilities.
“Neuralink is working super hard to ensure implant safety & is in close communication with the FDA. If things go well, we might be able to do initial human trials later this year.” – Elon Musk about Neuralink
Through a live stream, Musk and his Team discussed their vision with Neuralink and the benefits and gains it could do to humanity if and when it is a success. Musk and Neuralink anticipate that installing their chip will one day be a simple and easy process. He asserted that the treatment could thereafter be completed in less than an hour in a doctor’s office. The business has created a robot to “reliably and effectively” insert the threads of the chip into the appropriate regions of the brain. But according to Neuralink, the initial test subjects will endure standard brain surgery, including having holes bored through their skulls.
Animal Trials
Since its establishment in 2016, the company has been trying and testing the chip through animal testing. Unfortunately having killed roughly 1500 animals in the process, the chip is still under development though the company aims for human trials in the next 6 months.
Recently a video was shared coming from the labs of Neuralink showing a demo with a monkey performing what is said to be “telepathic typing”. This was made possible with the insertion of the Neuralink chip inside the monkey.
Following allegations from inside workers, Neuralink is reportedly the subject of a government inquiry into possible violations of animal welfare. According to the article, internal documentation and sources indicate that animal testing is proceeding too swiftly, which results in unnecessary suffering and death for the animals.
This unique initiative by Elon has received mixed opinions from the general public. While this took a part of the internet in a frenzy and people were quite concerned and enraged for the innocent animals killed due to the trial, some saw how this project would benefit several human beings by assisting them through their disability.
