A Chip Off the Old Brain, By Brian Simpson
First the background. In January 2024, 29-year-old Noland Arbaugh, a former Texas A&M University student and athlete, became the first human to receive a brain-computer interface implant from Neuralink, Elon Musk's neurotechnology company. Arbaugh had been paralyzed from the shoulders down since a 2016 diving accident that dislocated his C4 and C5 spinal vertebrae.
The implantation procedure took place at the Barrow Neurological Institute. Post-surgery, Arbaugh reported a straightforward recovery, being discharged the following day without cognitive impairments. The implant enabled him to control a computer cursor using his thoughts, allowing him to engage in digital activities such as playing games like The Battle of Polytopia, Civilization 6, and chess. In a March 2024 livestream, he demonstrated this capability by moving a cursor on a computer screen to control music and play chess. He expressed enthusiasm about the technology's potential to improve his quality of life, despite acknowledging its imperfections.
Approximately a month after the surgery, up to 85% of the implant's threads had detached due to unexpected brain movement, which was about three times more than Neuralink had anticipated. This detachment reduced the device's effectiveness in controlling external interfaces. Instead of undergoing additional surgery, software updates were implemented to restore some functionality.
In August 2024, Neuralink implanted its device in a second patient after addressing the issues encountered with Arbaugh's implant. The second trial participant, pseudonymously referred to as "Alex," underwent a modified implantation procedure designed to reduce brain motion during surgery and place the implant closer to the brain's surface to mitigate thread retraction. As of the latest reports, Alex has not experienced any thread retraction and has been able to create 3D designs using CAD software, as well as play first-person shooter games at a higher level than before.
All of this is heart-warming stuff and indicates technology overcoming physical disability. But it is the first step in the transhumanism agenda which Musk is championing, the fusion of man and machine. No doubt the case discussed above indicates how such technology can aid humanity, but with such developments there are usually more negatives than positives in the long run. How long before brain-controlling chips are planted in everyone to produce total social conformity?
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