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>“We will painlessly laser-drill the holes into the skull, place the threads, plug the hole with the sensor, and then you go home,” he says. “It’ll basically be

>“We will painlessly laser-drill the holes into the skull, place the threads, plug the hole with the sensor, and then you go home,” he says. “It’ll basically be an experience like getting Lasik.” Maybe I've read a bit too much cyberpunk lore in my day, but this sounds incredibly ambitious. Can't wait for the livestream to start!

leggomylibro 7y ago
As someone who had a magnet inserted and eventually removed from a finger: wait for the 2nd or 3rd revision. The first versions of the magnet implants had an unnerving tendency to shatter or have their neutral coating breach. And we're talking about the brain here - any damage caused by implanted devices may not be nearly as obvious as an exploded finger. I never miss an opportunity to trot out this quote from Alpha Centauri: >I think, and my thoughts cross the barrier into the synapses of the machine - just as the good doctor intended. But what I cannot shake, and what hints at things to come, is that thoughts cross back. In my dreams the sensibility of the machine invades the periphery of my consciousness. Dark. Rigid. Cold. Alien. Evolution is at work here, but just what is evolving remains to be seen.
- the_seraphim 7y ago
  That quote is cold and scary
- shostack 7y ago
  If I think about how omnipresent computers and data are in my life now, I wonder how much we can use that as a starting point for what some of that evolution might look like. For example... - I find myself trying to memorize fewer things if I can easily reference them digitally later - My expectations for having answers at my fingertips has grown such that not having internet or cell service causes anxiety - My communication is increasingly in a pure visual format, condensing complex ideas, concepts, emotions etc. to a pic or gif. Further, my concept of a photo has bifurcated into more permanent photos I care about, and more ephemeral "pics" that get forgotten about. TBD whether I'd say my overall communication throughout speed has increased - Phantom phone vibrations when I don't have my device on me - Shortened attention span due to the wealth of data immediately available, but also many notifications vying for my attention - A tendency to avoid situations where I'd be without electricity long term - The ability to enjoy virtual experiences in a way that delivers some of the enjoyment of in-person experiences (think socializing in online games)
- m463 7y ago
  Maybe a composite ring with a magnet in it might have a larger market. In the same way ctrl-labs might give you an early-adopter heads-up (although it would be one-way communication)
nabla9 7y ago
Simple and painless operation does not mean operation without risks. Even small microsurgery into the brain has infection risk. If successful, Neurallink will be used only for patients in cases where benefits outweigh the risks. You can start thinking about brain augmentation for non-medical reasons after the technology has been used for decade or so and all the side effects and risks have been minimized.
yoz-y 7y ago
Their machine is really impressive. I think for a medical device a needle has a great advantage from the safety perspective. You can make a needle that will never penetrate too deep into the brain because it is physically too short. Not so much for a laser capable of burning through skin which, if there is a bug in the controller would burn through the soft tissue in a matter of seconds.

leggomylibro 7y ago

As someone who had a magnet inserted and eventually removed from a finger: wait for the 2nd or 3rd revision. The first versions of the magnet implants had an unnerving tendency to shatter or have their neutral coating breach. And we're talking about the brain here - any damage caused by implanted devices may not be nearly as obvious as an exploded finger. I never miss an opportunity to trot out this quote from Alpha Centauri: >I think, and my thoughts cross the barrier into the synapses of the machine - just as the good doctor intended. But what I cannot shake, and what hints at things to come, is that thoughts cross back. In my dreams the sensibility of the machine invades the periphery of my consciousness. Dark. Rigid. Cold. Alien. Evolution is at work here, but just what is evolving remains to be seen.

the_seraphim 7y ago
That quote is cold and scary
shostack 7y ago
If I think about how omnipresent computers and data are in my life now, I wonder how much we can use that as a starting point for what some of that evolution might look like. For example... - I find myself trying to memorize fewer things if I can easily reference them digitally later - My expectations for having answers at my fingertips has grown such that not having internet or cell service causes anxiety - My communication is increasingly in a pure visual format, condensing complex ideas, concepts, emotions etc. to a pic or gif. Further, my concept of a photo has bifurcated into more permanent photos I care about, and more ephemeral "pics" that get forgotten about. TBD whether I'd say my overall communication throughout speed has increased - Phantom phone vibrations when I don't have my device on me - Shortened attention span due to the wealth of data immediately available, but also many notifications vying for my attention - A tendency to avoid situations where I'd be without electricity long term - The ability to enjoy virtual experiences in a way that delivers some of the enjoyment of in-person experiences (think socializing in online games)
m463 7y ago
Maybe a composite ring with a magnet in it might have a larger market. In the same way ctrl-labs might give you an early-adopter heads-up (although it would be one-way communication)

nabla9 7y ago

Simple and painless operation does not mean operation without risks. Even small microsurgery into the brain has infection risk. If successful, Neurallink will be used only for patients in cases where benefits outweigh the risks. You can start thinking about brain augmentation for non-medical reasons after the technology has been used for decade or so and all the side effects and risks have been minimized.

yoz-y 7y ago

Their machine is really impressive. I think for a medical device a needle has a great advantage from the safety perspective. You can make a needle that will never penetrate too deep into the brain because it is physically too short. Not so much for a laser capable of burning through skin which, if there is a bug in the controller would burn through the soft tissue in a matter of seconds.