11–20 of 80 posts
I would love some expert take on this, but my first reaction was „12000 sounds like a lot - they all work? That’s cool“.
Also check out this wait but why article which I think explains the resolution pretty well: https://waitbutwhy.com/2017/04/neuralink.html
I don't see how that is going to be done with stick on sensors.
And yes, some implantable BCI devices have better capability. The point is to make this as cheap as possible... so that it doesn't require a brain surgeon to install. Because brain surgeons are expensive.
The tone of this article is negative and I instinctively want to defend Neuralink because I hope that we can eventually achieve all of those sci-fi ambitions. But I think that's the wrong approach, and possibly insulting to researchers who have been working on these problems for decades only to be overshadowed by what I have to admit was not the most impressive demo.
However, this event does attract attention, so what I'm really hoping for is an influx of long-read articles and in-depth analyses coming from experts in the various fields surrounding Neuralink's aims as a result of the hightened interest in the topic.
I am not an expert, but what I thought was remarkable is the 12000 channels Musk talked about. New cochlear implants have 120 channels - one channel is one neuron (AFAIK) - more neurons is better results. I would love some expert take on this, but my first reaction was „12000 sounds like a lot - they all work? That’s cool“. Also check out this wait but why article which I think explains the resolution pretty well: ht…
These various networked computer components being attached to our bodies make me very nervous. See: hackers control pacemaker shock cycles with malware. [1] Software will always be vulnerable and it’s just a matter of time until someone gets eliminated by this vector - or worse, think about a wormable exploit aimed at mass adopted Neuralinks to mass fry people.. [1] https://www.wired.com/story/pacemaker-hack-malware-…
Terrorism, and that is it as far as I can see. In cyber up until know, criminals and espionage seem like much bigger threats than terrorism. We are introducing a new attack surface here, and it makes sense to consider whether we want to. But it is not an attack surface that seems likely to attract many attackers.
The demo was impressive. Did the author not see the part where they were predicting the body position of the walking pig? I don't see how that is going to be done with stick on sensors. And yes, some implantable BCI devices have better capability. The point is to make this as cheap as possible... so that it doesn't require a brain surgeon to install. Because brain surgeons are expensive.
Brain implant surgery is incredibly invasive and risky even with brain surgeons.
one feature i dont understand about neuralink is the promised transmission of thoughts. lets say i have a device that can encode activity of every neuron in my brain simultaneously. i think some variation of the thought "elephant," and the neuralink creates some digital representation of these signals. then i send that digital encoding to your brain's neuralink. how on earth are you going to think of ANY elephant, le…
The promise seems more that ideas can be transmitted with higher bandwidth. My signals -> word1, send word1 to you, word1-> your signals for word1 would be likely. Both of us would have to the system for word1, but if we could exchange it much faster than speaking, maybe even reading.
My issue with the system is that the line between reading and writing signals is very thin, and this these are hackable devices. Once the device learns a person's brain signals to make the legs run, it's easy to replay them on a bridge when facing sideways. There's no technology right now that's foolproof, and I'm not sure how any company can boast that it's secure enough — even if encryption is strong laws can still be enacted to force companies to hand over keys or install backdoors.
> Elon Musk preys on the hopeful and optimistic Yes but he also launches rockets into fucking space; that is to say, he may be selling snake oil, but he’s also selling legitimate magic beans.
> Elon Musk preys on the hopeful and optimistic Yes but he also launches rockets into fucking space; that is to say, he may be selling snake oil, but he’s also selling legitimate magic beans.