Understanding Neuralink

If someone asks you why mankind is the most intelligent species on the planet, most of the people would just think about the idea that as a comparison to all other species on the planet we are little more advance and have the potential of better understanding. Well, humanity is the only species which have the potential to develop, to cross the limitation, to bring out something new. It is said that in every century, there comes a man who possesses the potential to bring change to the entire human race. One who can show new ways and bring revolutions. In our last article, we discussed the Starlink project which was revolutionary. The project was launched by billionaire CEO and founder of the world's two big companies SpaceX and Tesla. This could be made possible only because of such a determined person who never stops bringing new technology. In this article, we are going to cover up such another insane and revolutionary project launched by the same person Elon Musk. This project seems to be impossible and fictional, but no one would like to ignore if it is being developed by Elon Musk who can develop reusable rockets. Well, we know that computers run through the tiny microprocessors in them. Humans are themselves very miraculous structures. We have our brain through which we can think and control our actions. We all know that very shortly we are going to strengthen our relationship with the computer. Till now we control computer by either touching some sort of controller device or by giving voice commands. If the gap between human and computer can be made very short, then we can get that connection between us and the computer. This project being developed by Elon Musk and his companies is called the Neuralink. So let's get into the topic and know what it is and how its work.

Description

How Neuralink works

The company claims that they are designing the world's first neural implant that will make people control devices like mobile and computer on the go. Some micron-scale threads are inserted into the areas of the brain that will control movement. Each thread contains a large number of electrodes that are connected to the implant.

There are a few more things associated with the Neuralink that are mentioned below:

Image Source - Google | Image by - Darrell Etherington

1. Neural Threads- These are the threads that are connected to the neural implant. They are equipped with small electrodes to detect neural signals.
2. The Link- This is a sealed and implanted device that transmit neural signals received from the neurons.
3. Charger- A compact inductive charger is connected to the implant to wirelessly charge the battery.

The fine and flexible neural threads in the link make it very difficult yo be implanted by a human hand. So the company is also developing specialised robots to handle this job with precision so that those threads can be implanted exactly where they need to be.

The company is also developing a Neuralink app that will let people control the phone or computer just by thinking about the task that is to be completed.

Applications of Neuralink

The company maintains its development with the hope of helping people with paralysis and other diseases. Neuralink can help those people giving them more freedom through the control of the computer and mobile devices directly through their brain. These Neuralink devices will make disabled people show their creativity through drawing, paintings and other tasks.

The link makes a new kind of brain interface. With the advancement of new technology, the company claims to cover more brain areas to collect more information. Neuralink can treat a very wide range of neurological disorder and restore sensory and neural functions which will lead us to understand the world better.

There are so many very painful diseases and even their treatment also brings a lot of pain. If the pain could be somehow reduced that the treatment of the disease can be made easier. Neuralink is going to play a crucial role in pain reduction.

As the brain will be connected to the computer it's maybe possible to unlock hidden talents. With the help of electrodes covering the brain, it's possible to have new unlocked qualities in a human. One of the main focus of the company is to use cloud-based storages to secure a person's memories which may lead to the immortality of that person.

Safety regarding Neuralink

Till now the company has not begun any human clinical trial so it's difficult to predict the safety-related with this project. There is a risk of bleeding in our brain if tried to insert a device into it. Neuralink is developing micron-scale threads which will be inserted into the brain with the help of a needle whose length is roughly as much as some neurons. The company is also developing robots which will handle the surgical process as every thread will be inserted individually. In the process of Neuralink, a robot will drill a hole in a person's head and implant a chip into the skull.

Security threats related to Neuralink

Of course, the idea of Neuralink is very important for future technical developments but still, they have some controversies. At first sight, anyone will admit this as an insane project as it looks like science friction. With the hard determination of Elon Musk, the company has reached so far. Neuralink maybe seems to be the next level of technology which will connect humans to the computers but still, the company needs volunteers to start clinical trials. But the question is who will be there to implant some sort of nanotechnology into his or her brain. As of now, many people around the world are criticising this project and the company itself is struggling to maintain their research. The first clinical trials were made with a rat and a monkey. Although the monkey was able to control the tests it's brain never wrote a symphony. 

Another major concern is that the brain itself is connected to the internet. Till now we are not able to perfectly protect our computer systems from hackers then how it can be said that we can safeguard our brains from those hackers. Our brains will always be in the risk of security threats of being hacked. 

The company claims that the chip will be inside a person's brain for as long as 10 years. Musk says that if anyone wants to get his chip removed then it is possible to do so but it requires another sort of surgery.

The Neuralink technology will use Bluetooth for its wireless communications as Bluetooth is considered to be a safer mode of communication due to its pairing system and short-range receivers. But there are also known trojan viruses that can steal data from the system. This proves to have potential risk for wireless Neuralink communications.

Testing

As mentioned above, till now no Neuralink human trail has been made yet. The reason is that the company is still developing its technology to a greater extent so that when the company starts trails on humans, it comes out to be 100 per cent successful. But even after four years of its establishment, the company has not yet provided any evidence that they can treat diseases like insomnia and mental depression although they claim that their technology can perform it very well. 

Recently Musk made a live stream on YouTube describing their technology and some of the successful trails they've made. In the live stream, Musk made a demonstration of implanting a chip in a living brain. Although at first, he didn't mention the species but later some assistants drew a black curtain to reveal three small pigs. Surprisingly they were part of the experiment. The brain of one of the pigs contained an implant. After some time of the live stream, the hidden speakers made some sound that is the firing of neurons according to Musk. Although they were successful up to some extent, according to some neuro-scientists the same experiments were also recorded in labs before. 

Image Source - Google | Image by - Ape Machine

Last year, Neuralink also showcased a sewing machine robot able to plunge a thousand ultra-fine electrode that would record the moment and information of the neurons. The test was made into a rodent's brain which was successful. In the live stream Musk also showcased a new prototype of the sewing robot. He believes that one day thousands of people will be ready to be implanted by these robots. The most interesting thing that was showcased int the stream was the Link itself which drew the attention of the people all around the world. It was as thick as human skull and Musk said that it could be easily plotted nearly somewhere around the surface of the brain. The Link can be charged with the help of an induction coil. The implanted Neuralink chip on the pig has almost 1000 channels that could read a similar number of neurons and according to the company, they will increase the number further.

The dreams of Elon Musk and the technology of his companies can make humanity reach new heights. Ever since he started working on making the world a better place, he never failed yet. Humanity is a special kind of species and our existence proves that we have to see a lot more in our very near future.

"The first step is to establish that something is possible then probability will occur" - Elon Musk

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