NEURALINK — What and How?

In the last article, we have seen the applications (What Neuralink is capable of !). This article is to understand about Neuralink project{What}? and {How} it works? This will be a huge article and I request you to kindly have patience and read it. It is worth understanding the next-generation innovation!

The manbehind NEURALINK — ELON MUSK

In general, sportsmen or actors, or politicians will be in the limelight because of their sports or films, or public appearances. For instance, most of us know ‘Sachin Tendulkar’, ‘Will Smith’ or ‘Barack Obama’. Even if a person is the CEO of a renowned global organization, staying in limelight is difficult but it doesn’t imply to ‘Elon Musk’ as he pulls all the focus to himself because of his ideas and implementations.

In my last article, I said Neuralink is ‘Whatever you think, it should happen. Similarly, Elon Musk is like “Whatever he wants, he creates a company for that”. A few examples are: To travel to space and for the Mars project, he founded SpaceX, for high-speed travel, he founded Hyperloop, to give internet access to remote villages, he started Starlink.

In 2017, Musk thought to introduce a chip in the human mind, which laid the foundation stone for Neuralink.

I wondered when I came to know that NEURALINK was founded by Elon Musk to compete with AI (Artificial Intelligence) because he was one among two, who founded OpenAI but he later resigned from the board of OpenAI.

Musk was having aversion toward AI as he believes that AI can become more intelligent than humans and it can dominate humans. So, which led Musk to concentrate on NEURALINK.

WHAT is this NEURALINK project?

in brief………

Human MIND is more powerful than any living organism on earth and MIND is associated with BRAIN. Even though both are different, we are using them to understand a project. So, I would sometimes use them interchangeably. If any doctors are reading this, I would request you to excuse me on this interchanging.

The humanBrain is full of Neuron connections. In layman’s terms, we can say that the Nervous system(nerves) acts as a mediator between your brain purposes body organs/parts. Neurons(Nerve cells) have extensive processes called dendrites.

Dendrites receive input from many other neurons and carry those signals to the cell body. If stimulated enough, a neuron fires an action potential — an electrical impulse that then stimulates other neurons. Large networks of these neurons communicate with each other to generate thoughts and behavior.

NEURALINK

Implanting electrodes between few nerves in brain and record these electric impulsions that happens in the brain

Recordings of these electric signals will be used to operate technology associated with inanimate objects (to operate any smart device) that are associated with you just by using your thoughts.

Let’s dive deep in and understand HOW this works in detail?

— HOW —

Core principles of NEURALINK work on basis of BCI (Brain-Computer Interface). According to Wikipedia, “A brain-computer interface is a direct communication pathway between the brain’s electrical activity and an external device, most commonly a computer or robotic limb”.

Required Tools for NEURALINK

N1 Chip, which is a BCI, and N1 Chip is 8mm in diameter and it is having very thin electrodes [these are thinner than your hair follicle, these electrodes size is approximately 1/20th of hair follicle].

This chip is connected to a device that is placed near your ear (the chip and this chip are connected in wireless mode).

With the help of this device, we can connect to smart devices to operate them with a thought.

How will they insert BCI into the Brain?

N1 chip will be placed into your skull by removing a very tiny part of your skull. Small electrodes, which are attached to this chip will be pushed into the brain. Each chip will be having approximately 3000 electrodes. These electrodes will be placed in different main parts of the brain.

These electrodes are so soft and lighter than a feather and so flexible, that they can be turned 360 degrees. The probability of causing damage to nerves in the brain because of this brain is almost zero. So, NEURALINK says, one need not worry about placing electrodes in the brain.

Don’t you feel, all this is a complex procedure? So, NEURALINK has developed a ROBOT, which can accurately and safely implant a chip

with a small incision. They might use this robot for pushing these electrodes into the brain and initially placing a chip on the skull can be done using Neurosurgeons. The company says that all these procedures will be completed in an hour.

In the future, they are planning to implant BCI in a much easier way [as simple as LASIK surgery].

HOW does it WORK?

An high-level overview

The Electrodes which are implanted in the brain will detect the communication between neurons in the brain and these electrodes will send that information to the N1 chip. Electrodes in each N1 chip can detect and record more than 1000 neuron signals. The plan is to implant anywhere between 4 to 10 N1 chips in one person.

Why implant this BCI only in the brain? — Because it is difficult to detect and record accurate signals if it is implanted far away from the brain.

This BCI is capable of transmitting and receiving electric signals. BCI can also convert these signals into binary language, which computers can understand, in order to run various algorithms on it.

USES from this NEURALINK project

→ NEURALINK’s BCI can acts as a bridge between the human mind and smart devices, to operate them just by Thought of your mind.

My view: It is the greatest innovation, which my generation will witness and it has the potential to create wonders BUT I believe that this has many potential risks, which surpass the benefits, I will be addressing them in the later part of this article.

→ Paralysis, Brain, and Spinal-cord related health problems can cause disability in several parts of the body partially or completely. NEURALINK can help back in getting touch sensation and body movements for such patients and there might be a probability of curing such health problems completely.

→ Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Dementia, and several psychological problems can be treated using NEURALINK’s BCI. It can also help in maintaining hormone levels to treat hormone imbalance problems, which might be one of the causes of depression. It can also help in vision and hearing ability.

My view: With help of Neuralink, there can be a great help to patients who are suffering from several health problems, and medically, it will be a huge help and there might be many breakthroughs in the medical field.

→ Can download required skills — !?

My view: I am about this! But, if it is really a benefit they are coming with! then, what is the role of IQ and human intelligence and studies? Don’t you feel, that a man will become a robot? — It will be the biggest threat on Earth.

ELON MUSK’s goal is to attain a Super Human Cognition. We wanted to attain this in order to fight against AI if AI becomes a threat. He also says that, if AI doesn’t dominate humans, then Neuralink’s BCI using AI can build the greatest safe innovations.

CONCERNS and CHALLENGES because of this NEURALINK project

→ There is still research going on on the Brain. Scientists haven’t yet decoded and understood the brain completely — need to research the brain in order to take this project forward !!

→ Is it ethical to track others’ ideas and emotions and the data recorded by Neuralink can be used in an illegal way, which will be a disastrous failure.

My view: As many experts said “Data is worth more than anything in this world”. I also believe in the same and It is considered of having more value than Bitcoin$ or Gold. Recorded data legitimately and illegally made way and in an illegal way. Assume, that terrorists start using this! then, I don’t think there will not be democratic and communist rule anywhere in any country. The only rule that will then exist is ‘Anarchy’. ELON MUSK has raised a concern about AI that, it will cause a threat to societyillegallyI is used in an illegal way, then won’t it cause much HARM than AI. There may be a chance that only human+robots=humobots will exist on earth then.

Permissions and Tests

Neuralink has already conducted tests on Pigs/Monkeys, which have been successful.

Neuralink wanted to Test its BCI on Humans before 2022 ends.

An American Organisation (FDA) has to certify for these tests in order to test them on humans. Musk believes they will perform better than the expectations of the FDA. A Statement was released by FDA in July 2020 stating NEURALINK as a ‘Breakthrough innovation’ — Is it an indirect green signal?

My take on this

I love technological innovations, which will drive humans to run in this competitive world but those innovations should be mindful and limited with restrictions. I applaud the ‘NEURALINK’ project because of its complexity. I support it only if it has to be taken to the public with specific regulations that too only for medically disabled people.

Why do we want to make everything happen by itself just by thought? We should think and try to make that happen by applying our physical and mental effort [just for a few at least]. I believe that

We should understand and learn Technology but Technology shouldn’t learn us

Hopefully, this innovation will be used for the betterment of society rather than turning a reel ROBO film into a real one.