The matrix in real life: is it possible to connect the brain to the computer?


It would seem that even 10-20 years ago, such a question many would consider you strange. Connecting a living person with the machine was possible only in science fiction movies. Today, however, the connectivity of the human brain to a computer is discussed quite seriously. At the forefront of progress, Elon Musk and mark Zuckerberg.

Artificial intelligence

The subject of artificial intelligence has gained popularity in the twentieth century. Reflections on whether a car of this level of complexity, so that they can be called thinking, occupied, and prominent scientists and science fiction writers. Someone speaks about the danger of sentient robots who can be hostile towards man. But in medicine, for example, artificial intelligence is often viewed as an aid in the diagnosis: it can be effectively used to analyze large number of data.

What does the Musk?


In 2017, a world-renowned entrepreneur Elon Musk has announced the creation of the company Neuralink. Of the many comments we can conclude that the main goal of the company is to create a so – called “neural lace”. This network of tens of chips “implanted” in the brain that significantly increase its performance and expand opportunities. And also make it possible to switch the brain and various electronic devices directly.

In the initial phase, this technology will be purely medical value, for example, will help patients recover after a stroke. But then, if you manage all that in mind Musk, neural lace will be able to use ordinary people. You only have to come up with a method of implanting a chip that does not require extensive surgical intervention on the brain. For example, through the bloodstream.

Musk is not alone

With the project “connecting the brain to the computer” speaks, by the way, not only Musk. For example, the company Facebook last year announced that it is working on a system that will allow you to enter data into the computer the power of thought. The specialists of the company declare that any additional devices to the implant body does not need.

Facebook plans to pay some kind of device that decodes the brain signals. But not everything, and those people are willing to share. That is, the device will read the signals from the speech center of the brain, framed in words, our inner speech.

Put into practice


Technology recognition of brain signals, which are yet to bring to perfection, have already been applied. So, the car company, Nissan developed a device that reads brain signals of the driver and “adjusts” them under the car. It’s not autopilot when the vehicle he controls himself. It is rather a symbiosis of man and machines that interact.

Two years ago experts from the University of Berkeley in California presented a project on “neural dust”. This is a very small sensors that are placed in the body and can real-time monitor the activity of any organ or muscle. So before the first of the cyborgs left quite a bit: Musk plans to complete the creation of the “neural lace” in 10 years.

And by the way, did you know that the cornea of the eye can be printed on a 3D printer? About how high technologies are applied in medicine, read our article.