Elon Musk Brain Chip. So, Elon Musk just dropped a bomb – he claims Neuralink, his brain-tech company, has successfully planted one of its wireless brain chips in a human. Yup, you read that right. The guy’s out here talking about “promising” brain activity and the patient “recovering well.”
The Mission: Connecting Brains to Computers
Neuralink’s grand plan? Hooking up human brains to computers, all in the name of tackling tricky neurological issues. It’s like science fiction turned reality, but wait, others have been playing in this space too.
Musk’s Tweet: The Big Announcement
Musk, being Musk, made this revelation on X, which is basically Twitter but with a cooler name. He threw it out there that they’ve hit a milestone with their brain chip, and things are looking good. The goal? Merging the human brain with computers. Wild, right?
Expert Take: “Significant Milestone,” But…
Professor Anne Vanhoestenberghe from King’s College London thinks this move is a big deal for any company in the medical device game. She points out that Neuralink just joined a pretty exclusive club because not many have taken their brain implants to the human testing phase.
But, and there’s always a but, she’s also cautious. Real success? That’s a long-term thing. Elon Musk knows how to grab attention, but we’ll have to see how this plays out in the grand scheme of things.
No Verification, No Details
Hold up, though. Musk makes a big statement, but there’s no independent confirmation, and Neuralink is keeping mum about the whole procedure. BBC News even tried to get the scoop from Neuralink and the FDA, but no dice.
Competition in the Brain Chip Game
Turns out, it’s not just Neuralink flexing in the brain-chip arena. The École Polytechnique Fédérale in Switzerland pulled off a wild move – they got a paralyzed dude walking just by thinking. They did this by sticking electronic implants on his brain and spine, letting his thoughts wirelessly control his legs. Published in the Nature journal in May 2023, it’s legit.
Neuralink’s Past Criticisms: Animal Testing and FDA Approval
Neuralink’s journey hasn’t been all rainbows and sunshine. In 2022, Reuters spilled the tea that Neuralink tested its stuff on about 1,500 animals, and not all of them made it out alive – sheep, monkeys, and pigs were in the mix. The head of the US Department of Agriculture checked it out and didn’t find any rule-breaking, but there’s an ongoing investigation.
Fast forward to May 2023, and FDA gave Neuralink the nod to test its chip on humans. The plan? A six-year study involving a robot surgically placing 64 super-thin threads on a brain area linked to movement. These threads, finer than a human hair, connect to an experimental implant powered by a wireless-charging battery. This setup records and beams brain signals to an app that decodes your intentions. Futuristic, right?
Musk Drops “Telepathy” Bomb
In another X post, Musk spilled the beans on Neuralink’s first product – it’s called “Telepathy.” This brain wizardry lets you control your phone, computer, and almost anything else, just by thinking. Imagine that! The first users? Those who lost the use of their limbs. Musk even dreams of Stephen Hawking communicating at warp speed. It’s like something out of a superhero movie.
