The man who has a reading slice in his brain, thanks to Elon Musk

The presence of a slice in your mind may seem to be translated into computer orders such as science fiction – but it is a reality for Noland Arbau.

In January 2024 – eight years after he was paralyzed – the 30 -year -old became the first person to get such a device from the American nervous technology company, Neuralink.

It was not the first example of this – a handful of other companies that you developed and planted – but Nolland definitely attracts more attention due to the founder of Neuralink: Elon Musk.

But Noland says that the important thing is neither he nor musk – but science.

He told the BBC that he knew the risks of what he was doing – but “good or bad, whatever it is, I will help.”

“If everything succeeds, I can help to be a participant in Neuralink,” he said.

“If something terrible happens, I knew they would learn from him.”

Noland, from Arizona, was paralyzed under the shoulders in a diving accident in 2016.

His injuries were so severe that he is afraid that he might not be able to study, work, or even play games again.

“You have no control, no privacy, and this is difficult,” he said.

“You have to learn that you must rely on other people in everything.”

Neuralink Chip is looking to restore a small part of his previous independence, by allowing him to control a computer with his mind.

This is what is known as the Brain computer interface (BCI) – which works by discovering the resulting small electrical impulses when humans think about moving, and translating them into digital matter, such as moving the index on the screen.

It is a complex topic that scientists were working on for several decades.

Inevitably, Elon Musk’s participation in this field led to technology technology – and Noland Arbau – in the main headlines.

This helped to attract a lot of investment – as well as check the integrity and importance of what a very invasive procedure is.

When Noland’s transplant was announced, Experts praised it as an “important teacher”Also, with a warning that it will take some time to really evaluate him – especially given the skill of Musk in “generating advertising for his company”.

Musk was in public places at the time, simply writing in a post on social media: “The initial results show the discovery of promising neurons.”

In fact, Noland said that the billionaire – to which he spoke before and after surgery – was more optimistic.

“I think he was just excited as I was starting,” he said.

However, he stresses that Neuralink revolves around more than its owner, and claims that he does not consider it “Elon Musk”.

Whether the rest of the world sees it in this way – Especially given its increasingly controversial role in the US government – It should still be seen.

But there is no doubt about the effect that the device has on Nolland’s life.

When Noland woke up from the surgery that installed the device, he said he was initially able to control the index on a screen by thinking about the fluctuation of his fingers.

“Frankly, I didn’t know what to expect – it seems very scientific,” he said.

But after seeing his neurons rises on the screen – all the time is surrounded by enthusiastic Neuralink employees – he said, “Everything drowned in” he can only control his computer with his ideas.

Even better – over time, his ability to use planting has grown to the extent that he can now play in chess and video game.

“I grew up playing games,” he said, adding that it was something, “he had to abandon it,” when he became disabled.

“Now I am hitting my friends in games, which is not possible but it.”

Noland is a strong evidence of technology capabilities to change lives – but there may also be defects.

“One of the main problems is privacy,” said Anil Seth, Professor of Neuroscience, University of Sussex.

He told the BBC: “If we are issuing our brain activity (…), then we somewhat allow to reach what we do, but it is possible that we think, what we think and what we feel.”

“Once you reach the things inside your head, there is no other obstacle to personal privacy.”

But these are not concerns about Noland – instead, he wants to see the chips go further regarding what they can do.

He told the BBC that he hoped that the device will eventually allow him to control his wheelchair, or even a future human robot.

Even with the technique in its current limited state, not all was a smooth sailing.

At some point, a problem with the device has completely lost control of its computer, when it was partially separated from its brain.

“It was really annoying to say the least said,” he said.

“I didn’t know if I would be able to use Neuralink again.”

The connection was fixed – and then improved – when the engineers amended the program, but it highlighted a frequently expressed concern by experts about technology restrictions.

Neuralink is just one of many companies that explores how to digitally benefit from the strength of our brain.

Synchron is one of these companies, which says its STENTRODE aims to help people with motor nerve disease require a less invasive surgery.

Instead of asking for open brain surgery, it is fixed in the mapal vein of a person in his neck, then moved to his brain through a blood vessel.

Like neuralink, the device ultimately connects to the engine area in the brain.

“He picks up when someone thinks about clicking or not clicking on his finger,” said chief technology official, Ricky Panerry.

“With the ability to capture these differences, it can create what we call the digital engine output.”

Then this output is converted into computer signals, where it is currently used by 10 people.

One of these people, who did not want to use his last name, told the BBC that he was the first person in the world to use the device with the Apple headphone from Apple.

Mark said that this allowed him almost holidays in remote sites – from standing in the waterfalls in Australia to roaming through the mountains in New Zealand.

“I can see on the future a world in which this technology can really make a difference of a person with this paralysis or any paralysis,” he said.

But for Noland, there is one warning with his Neuralink slide – he agreed to be part of a study that has installed it for six years, after which the future is less clear.

Whatever happens to him, he believes that his experience may be merely scratching a surface that may one day become a reality.

“We know little about the brain and this allows us to learn much more,” he said.

Additional reports by Yasmine Morgan Griffiths.