Elon Musk’s Brain Implant Coming: What Are the Risks?

The Epoch Times Header

Elon Muskโ€™s brain implant promises to be available to the average person and eliminate a host of ailments. Learn whatโ€™s involved.

Imagine searching Google with your mind, committing your thoughts to a journal without lifting a finger, and directing superhuman robotic strength. Imagine: all of your thoughts decoded into a language compatible with computers. Running through a server. Controlled byโ€”hopefully, someone whoโ€™s trustworthy.

Consider all that, and you have a taste for the context surrounding Neuralink.

The brainโ€“computer interface (BCI) company Neuralink recently announced it had received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance to start trials implanting brain chips in humans. For those who havenโ€™t been following, Neuralink was started by Elon Musk in 2016 to develop microchips that can send and receive data directly from the human brain.

The subject is undeniably fascinating and very portentous. However, as with many frontier scientific topics, this emergent technology has risks and concerns. As Spidermanโ€™s Uncle Ben once said: โ€œWith great power comes great responsibility.โ€

What Is the Neuralink Chip?

The Neuralink chip is a small piece of hardware a little wider and thicker than a quarter. Attached to the chip are 64 wires, each just a few microns thick and with 16 microscopic electrodes on it. (For reference, a micron is one-fifteenth the width of a single hair.)

Part of how brain cells communicate is by sending tiny electrical impulses. For this reason, clinicians and scientists use devices with electrodesโ€”most commonly, a noninvasive encephalography (EEG) capโ€”to gauge brain activity by measuring cell signaling.

It follows that if neurons use electrical impulses to coordinate their functions, then we can also affect brain function by sending impulses from an electrode to the cells. In some serious neurological casesโ€”such as epilepsy, Parkinsonโ€™s disease, or chronic painโ€”deep brain stimulation (DBS) uses electrical signals to modify cell signaling therapeutically.

The advantage of implants is precision. With external devices, the skull and tissue attenuate part of the signal. Thus, for fine-grained functions like, say, flexing your finger, invasive electrodes provide better accuracy when both measuring and delivering impulses.

How Is the Neuralink Chip Used?

The Neuralink chip is surgically implanted. During the procedure, a precision robot drills a hole into a personโ€™s skull, then gingerly pushes the threads into the brain. The process takes a few hours. After healing, the device is invisible but for a minimal scar and is designed to be charged through customized items, like a special pillow or baseball cap. The surgery is expected to cost insurers about $40,000.

Byย Robert Backer

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Columns

Viewers like you

There is no constitutional authority for any spending on public broadcasting โ€“ period. Any questions: See Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.

Beyond the Trump-Musk fallout?

We are witnessing an unprecedented, unhinged Democrat effort to use lawfare, big Democrat donors, street theater, congressional disruptions, potty-mouth videos, the administrative state, the legacy media, and discredited pollsters to stop the Trump agenda.

Trans-wormal

No worm ever said "I am anthropomorphizing, I am a butterfly" to a toad or flock of geese and expected acknowledgement and support.

In Greenlandโ€™s Icy Capital, Past Troubles Haunt Hopes for the Future

As geopolitical realities and ongoing economic growth raise the stakes, U.S. interest in Greenland and the dream of independence may change things in a big way.

How a Chinese Government Statistician Was Forced to Report Fake Data

Chinese local govt employee produced a non-authorized report on bees and was visited by police and threatened with being sent to a mental hospital.

News

Supreme Court Sides With DOGE in Social Security, Records Cases

The Supreme Court handed DOGE two big wins late on June 6 in its effort to reduce the size of the federal government.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia Returns to US to Face Criminal Charges

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a citizen of El Salvador, is on his way back to the US, where he will face criminal charges for allegedly smuggling illegal immigrants.

White House Adviser Gives Update on DOGEโ€™s Future Amid Muskโ€“Trump Spat

A top White House adviser said DOGEโ€™s work will likely continue amid a spat between its former chief, Elon Musk, and President Donald Trump.

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Allow Dismantling of Education Department

Trump admin asked Supreme Court to allow it to resume dismantling U.S. Dept of Education, following a lower courtโ€™s previous order halting process.

FTC Warns of Rising Student Loan Scams, Says Fraudsters Took Millions From Borrowers

FTC is warning borrowers to steer clear of student loan debt-relief scams, after shutting down group of companies that allegedly charged millions in illegal fees and left customers worse off.

Walmartโ€™s Drone Delivery Coming to 5 More US Cities

Walmart is set to launch its drone delivery service in five more U.S. cities: Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa, the company.

Court Orders Trump Administration to Restore AmeriCorps Funding to States

Federal court ordered Trump admin to restore AmeriCorps funding to states. The ruling comes as part of a lawsuit filed by 24 states and DC.

Tax Deductions You Can Take Without Itemizing

Itโ€™s not always beneficial to itemize. With IRSโ€™s current standard deduction for 2025 most Americans who canโ€™t itemize go with standard deduction.
spot_img

Related Articles