LINKS OF NEURALINK

18 November: It wasn’t an uncommon experience to witness another breakthrough from the Tesla CEO when he revealed his idea of Neuralink a couple of months ago. Entire world awaits for the massive revolution brought out by “THE ELON MUSK” in the field of science and technology. Be it automobiles, space missions, biotechnology, this person startles the humanity with his exceptionally different and genius inventions. Founded back in 2016, NEURALINK Corporation scientists were busy working only on one project. They worked their fingers to the bone to develop an unbelievable microchip which could control neural impulses. Initially they had designed a complex looking structure which was supposed to be implanted into the brain but later on minimized it to a coin shaped object which could easily be fitted near the grey matter. Popularly known as BMI(Brain Machine Interface), this technology will play a key role in establishing interaction between human body and the artificial intelligence. Also it would be beneficial for the patients suffering from neural and spinal disorders. The so called Sci-fi movies which we enjoy may become reality very soon.

How does it work?

Our nervous system is composed of a network of neurons which play a vital role in transmitting impulses between the brain and the other organs. Neurons are basically composed of three parts including dendrites which receive the signal, soma or the cell body which computes the signal and the axon which transmits the signals. Two consecutive neurons are separated at the axon-dendrite connection by a gap called synapse. Action potential causes synapses to release neurotransmitters. These small molecules bind to receptors on dendrite that causes the current to flow across neurons’ membrane. When a neuron receives the right combination of spatiotemporal synaptic input, it initiates an action potential. And thus triggers the signal in the form of electrochemical impulses. In a similar manner the Neuralink chip is implanted in the skull using a specially designed robot for the surgery. It is linked with the neurons via electrodes. These electrodes detect the action potential. There are neurons in the brain which carry information about sense, hearing, touch, thought, speech, etc. Thus when the electrodes come in contact with the dendrites, the impulses are recorded and stored in the memory. Further this memory is used for controlling various things. The Link contains about 1024 electrodes for procuring the data. We can control electronic devices just by thinking about it. The Neuralink app allows you to control iOS device, keyboard, mouse without using your fingers just by thinking. As of now the research is still under progress in pigs but that day isn’t far when we would witness a cyborg driving a car for us, doing maths within fraction of seconds without using calculator, solve complex problems like a supercomputer and carry a vast amount of information like the Google does.

Challenges

It is difficult for our body to accept any foreign object. However the science behind the prosthetics and implants have challenged the above mentioned statement but still the risk of brain damage prevails. Although the experimentation carried on the pigs is showing positive results but replacing a small part of human skull with anything requires absolute precision and accuracy. Moreover, the designed chip needs to be designed in such a manner that it resists the corrosion caused by the body fluids surrounding it. The process of connecting thousands of dendrites to the electrodes is extremely exigent and could lead to permanent paralysis of the patient if it fails to accept the chip. Thus although the FDA granted Neuralink the breakthrough device designation, its practical implementation is not going to be a cakewalk.

Applications of Neuralink

The initial goal of this technology will be to help people with paralysis to regain the control over their movements using mobiles and computers. It will allow people to communicate with each other without writing or speaking anything. The link will connect thousands of neurons, record the activity of these neurons and process these signals in real time. Thus people with spinal cord injuries will be able to control computer and mobile devices with their brains. It can become a two way mode of communication as well meaning we could control human movements with the help of computers. So the point to be noted is that this technology needs to be handled with care as it won’t take much time for this boon to become bane for mankind. If any notorious terror outfit gets access to this chip imagine the destruction it would cause. A robot with a destructive mindset can never remain under control. Currently a large amount of research is in process on Neuralink and therefore defining its scope of applications is like measuring the expanding universe. So it wouldn’t be wise at this moment to link our future with NEURALINK.