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💬 In this note:
🤖 Part Man, Part Machine
📚 DOAC: The Canceled Professor
⚡️ Moo Deng Livestream
🤖 Part Man & Part Machine
In the intro of Nina’s Notes #92, I mentioned that I attended the BrainMind Summit in NYC which was a special forum on neuromodulation and brain computer interface.
Brain computer interfaces (BCIs) are devices that create a direct communication pathway between your brain’s electrical activity and an external output, like a computer, a prosthetic limb, or potentially a mobility device like an electric wheelchair.
At the conference, I learned that we have had brain computer interfaces (BCI) for 20 years!
I previously thought Neuralink was the first one to implant a chip in a human….and I was wrong.
So, to ensure none of you make the same mistake, I wanted to give a brief history of brain computer interfaces and what happened over the past two decades to get us where we are today.
The Beginning
One of the pivotal moments in BCI technology came in 1924 when German psychiatrist Hans Berger discovered the electrical activity of the brain using electro-en-ceph-a-lography (EEG).
This was the first time the brain’s activity was captured in real time, and this led to neuroscientists beginning to understand how electrical signals in the brain could be measured and interpreted.
It wasn’t until the 1950s and 1960s that researchers seriously considered the idea of using brain electrical signals for communication with external devices.
1960s and 1970s
Dr. Jacques Vidal, a professor at UCLA, is widely credited with developing the first true BCI.
His work involved the use of EEG to detect changes in brainwave patterns, which were then used to move a cursor on a computer screen.
His 1973 paper, “Toward Direct Brain-Computer Communication” outlined a vision of computers that could interact with the brain.
In the pioneering days of BCI, experiments could not be performed on humans, so we used our closest animal relatives, monkeys, and these results eventually inspired the first human trials of invasive BCIs.
1980s and 1990s
Dr. Philip Kennedy and Dr. Niels Birbaumer pushed the boundaries of BCIs in the medical field, focusing on applications for people with severe physical disabilities.
Kennedy’s pioneering work involved implanting electrodes into the brain to help paralyzed individuals control prosthetic devices.
Dr. Birbaumer demonstrated how individuals could use EEG signals to communicate, even if they were completely "locked-in" due to conditions like ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).
2000s - present
The early 2000s saw significant advancements in both invasive and non-invasive BCIs.
DARPA, the U.S. defense research agency, funded several BCI projects aimed at assisting wounded soldiers.
One notable example was the BrainGate system, developed by Cyberkinetics in the early 2000s.
The system used a small implant in the motor cortex to allow paralyzed patients to control external devices like robotic arms or computers with their thoughts.
The BrainGate clinical trials, starting in 2004, were a landmark in BCI history showing the potential for these systems to restore independence to those with severe disabilities.
Patients were controlling a computer cursor with their mind by 2006.
Non-invasive BCIs also gained traction during this time, especially in the field of neurofeedback, where users trained their brainwaves to control computer systems or video games.
Companies like Emotiv and NeuroSky brought consumer-grade EEG headsets to the market, making BCIs more accessible to the general public.
Though still in their infancy, these devices represented a shift toward broader applications beyond medical rehabilitation, hinting at future uses in gaming, education, and productivity and potentially augmenting human capabilities by improving memory, attention, and learning.
One of the most remarkable achievements during this period came in 2014 when a paralyzed man, wearing an exoskeleton controlled by his brain, kicked a soccer ball at the World Cup. This event symbolized the growing potential of BCI technology to profoundly impact human lives.
This year we have seen many headlines about brain computer interfaces, particularly from Neuralink.
Elon Musk’s company, Neuralink, implanted their first chip in a patient in January 2024.
The first patient has used his Link chip for countless hours. I wrote about the experience of the first patient in Nina’s Notes #77.
The second patient in the Neuralink clinical trial received his implant in July 2024. He has been improving his ability to play video games and began learning how to use computer-aided design (CAD) software to design 3D objects.
According to the Neuralink blog,
“This marks another significant step towards providing a high-performance interface that will enhance the control of digital devices for people with quadriplegia to help restore their autonomy.”
Now Neuralink has a new project called Blindsight, which they announced with the news that they received FDA breakthrough device designation for its sight-restoring implant in September 2024.
The aim is to restore vision to blind people. Even to those who are blind from birth.
For more details on Neuralink and their progress, Lex Fridman recently published an eight-hour and 37 minute podcast with the team. For those of you with, literally a day of time to spare, check it out here.
Although Neuralink is getting the most press around brain-computer interfaces, there are more companies and researchers working in this space that you may not have heard of yet.
Most companies working in this space have the same goal: capturing enough information
from the brain to decipher the user’s intention.
The idea is to aid communication for people who can’t easily move or speak, either by helping them navigate a computer cursor or by actually translating their brain activity into speech or text.
Who else is working on it?
1️⃣ Synchron is a New York–based company which has already implanted its device in 10 people. Synchron's device is delivered to the brain via the large vein that sits next to the motor cortex in the brain versus being surgically implanted into the brain cortex like Neuralink's.
2️⃣ Paradromics is building BCIs with a focus on high-data-rate neural communication. Their mission is to create technology that can read and interpret brain signals with greater accuracy and scale, primarily for medical applications such as treating neurological conditions like paralysis, hearing loss, and blindness. Paradromics aims to massively scale up the number of neurons that can be read and stimulated simultaneously through a BCI. This is crucial for restoring complex functions such as speech or motor control in people with severe disabilities.
3️⃣ Precision Neuro is developing both BCIs and neurostimulation devices. Their primary goal is to create solutions that offer precision control over neural activity to treat neurological disorders and improve brain function. Their devices are intended for patients suffering from conditions such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, depression, and chronic pain. By delivering precise electrical stimulation and recording brain activity in real-time, Precision Neuro aims to restore normal brain function and alleviate symptoms associated with these disorders.
📚 Book of the Week
Not a book, but a podcast.
The Canceled Professor: Husbands are more Dangerous Than You Think! Men are Hardwired to Cheat! Science Proves Monogamy Isn’t Real with Gad Saad on the Diary of a CEO podcast.
Dr. Gad Saad has pioneered the use of evolutionary psychology in marketing and consumer behavior. Dr. Saad, is the author of ‘The Consuming Instinct: What Juicy Burgers, Ferraris, Pornography, and Gift Giving Reveal About Human Nature,’ ‘The Parasitic Mind’ and ‘The Saad Truth About Happiness: 8 Secrets for Leading the Good Life.’ He is an evolutionary psychologist and Professor of Marketing at Concordia University.
Despite the overly click-baity title, the podcast does have some gems. In this episode of Diary of a CEO, Dr. Saad dives into relationships, and the truths about our most primal behaviors.
I’d like to highlight the timestamps:
(44:55) What Is a Mate Desirability Score?
(53:44) Can We Predict a Couple’s Success?
(01:38:34) The Secrets to Living a Happy Life
This podcast was a reader recommendation from Sammy. Thanks Sammy!
⚡️ Check This Out
Baby hippo Moo Deng has captured the love of the internet.
I love Moo Deng.
I am obsessed.
The internet echoes my obsession, and the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand has responded to Moo Deng’s sudden fame by launching a 24-hour live stream.
Moo Deng's live stream is available via the Zoodio website, which also hosts livestreams of other animals such as elephants and penguins.
To watch it, simply head over to Zoodio's hippopotamus page, then scroll down and select the "Live Streaming" tab.
The second tab is above the information box, it shouldn't be too difficult to identify. Though the Zoodio website is in Thai, the "Live Streaming" tab is in English.
Edited by Wright Time Publishing