Brain Chips In Human Beings By Elon Musk | Neuralink Human Trials

Scientists from Elon musk neuralink company are getting ready to test microchips in the human brain. The company has carried out the artificial microchip implant in two animals pagar the macaque and Gertrude the pig.

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The microchip was designed by a company called Neuralink, which has one of its co-founders as Elon musk. NeuraLink is known for developing neural interface technology, which is why they develop the microchip to study and treat neurological disorders.

Neuralink developed a microchip that will be implanted in a human's skull with the electrodes fanning

out into the brain. The chip is about the size of a coin and thin wires in the chips implanted are roughly 20 times thinner than a human hair.

The wires in the chips are equipped with 1024 electrodes which are useful to study brain activities and electrically stimulate the brain. The data gotten can be transferred wirelessly into the computer where it can be studied by researchers.

Then we also have the robot that will automatically implant the chip. It uses a stiff wire needle to punch the flexible wires which emanate from the Neuralink into the brain, it's a bit more like a sewing machine.

 In the year 2020, the company released a video that shows the work of the chip in a pig named Gertrude. It shows how the chip was able to detect the positioning of the pig's limb when walking on a treadmill and also the neural activity when the pig snuffed for food.

Also, a monkey was shown playing a game, he was controlling the cursor using his brain signal.

This technology simply put is to link our brain with the devices we use, this is also an advantage for those who had lost usage of their hands. It is like me controlling my phone and computer with my brain.

Is Neuralink safe ?

Firstly, we should know that the brain is a delicate and special organ, so attaching anything to the brain requires carefulness. Elon musk plans to test the microchip with humans in 2022, and it will have to go through lots of tests before it is made available readily.

Currently, based on research, the major threat to the human brain might be vulnerability to hacks, since it is a digital technology and also malicious attacks. Problems might arise when the chip is used for physical death.

Technology is unpredictable and different forces such as hackers lurk in the online space and Neuralink relies heavily on the internet. All though, those points are opinionated, it presents a different standpoint which might be correct.

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Advantages of Neuralink

As much as we have the cons, we have the pros as well. The Neuralink because it's implanted in the skull will shed more light on brain function.

And also based on what Elon musk said, the chip is capable of curing depression, autism, memory loss, epilepsy.

“I think this would be hugely beneficial to the field [...] certainly this technology will have applications in neuroscience research and any new technology is good and will advance that research. And that research may well lead to improvements in the way we treat Parkinson's disease [for example] even if the technology itself doesn't even form part of the treatment," said Jackson, professor Andrew Jackson who is a professor of neuroscience in the University of Newcastle.

Post written by : Ogundiran Segun