What is Neuralink and how does it work?

In it you will learn about the following things:

• What is Neuralink?
• How Neuralink works?
• What are the advantages and drawbacks of Neuralink ?
• Does Neuralink cause problems in the brain?
• Conclusion 

     In every century some great people make the world very advanced. Talking about the present Elon Musk is at the forefront of it. Many advanced technologies like automobile cars, fully reusable rockets, hyper loop are placed before us. Elon Musk life lessons can help us become like him. Another new advance technology coming from him is called "Neuralink".

                              fig. Neuralink

What is Neuralink ?

    Simply put, connecting a machine (chip) to a human brain is called "Neuralink". The concept of neuralink is the fusion of machines and humans. In 2016, the neuralink project began. Elon Musk officially announced this in July 2019. The Neuralink project received $150 billion in funding. Elon Musk invested $100 of the $150. Many doctors, neuro specialists, engineers and scientists are working for the Neuralink project.

How Neuralink works ?

    The two cognitive systems in the human brain are the limbic system and the cortex. The limbic system helps us store emotions and memory, and the cortex helps us think and plan. But Neuralink is called a third system that works like a computer in the brain. First let's know about the small function that takes place in the brain.

    Our brain consists of several hundred billion neurons. Neurons communicate with each other through chemical and electrical signals. Whatever we do in our life think, run, eat, exercise, speak is done by communicating with each other. Neurons keep sending these electrical chemicals from time to time. When electrical signals pass through neurons, a small electric field is generated. All this is the function of neurons in the brain. But this electric field is detected by the electrodes. All those electrodes send data to the machine. This is called Brain Machine Interface (BMI).

    Neuralink is a brain machine interface. Before Neuralink there are many brain mission interfaces like Utah Array, Deep Brain Stimulation. For example, let's look at deep brain stimulation, deep brain stimulation is done for people with Parkinson's brain disease. In deep brain stimulation, 10 electrodes are placed in the brain. These electrodes study brain activity and transmit all that data to the mission. If so many miracles can be done by deep brain stimulation with only 10 electrodes, we leave it to your imagination how many more miracles can be done by neuralink with 10,000 electrodes.

    The electrodes in neuralink are in the form of threads. The robot injects these threads into the brain one after the other. It injects up to 10,000 electrodes in the brain. Each electrode is near different neurons where they gather information. Once received, that information is fed to the N1 chip. According to Elon Musk, 4 N1 chips are placed under the brain and on top of the skull. Thousands of electrodes are connected to one electrode. After receiving information N1 chip processes the information and converts it into a code, then sends the code via bluetooth to a pod near the ear. A pod device can be connected to a phone. All our brain activity is visible on the phone itself.

one interesting story:

    In August 2020, Neuralink demonstrated its brain-computer interface technology by live streaming a pig named Gertrude, who had a Neuralink device implanted in her brain. The demonstration showed how the device was able to detect and record neural activity in the pig's brain, and even display it in real-time on a screen. This was a significant milestone for Neuralink as it was the first time the company had publicly demonstrated its technology in a living animal. The demonstration was done to show the potential of the technology to help paralyzed people regain movement, and also to show the potential of the technology to help animals with neurological disorders.

    This was a major achievement for the company, as it demonstrated the feasibility and potential of the technology, and it got a lot of attention from the media and the scientific community. It also highlighted the potential for the technology to improve the lives of animals, which could lead to new research and treatments for neurological conditions in animals.

We are not even close to understanding the brain, but we are at a point where we can start to ask questions and begin to understand the brain's interface with the computer." - Elon Musk

What are the advantages of Neuralink ?

1. Now we need the help of our hand to control the phone or computer. But through neuralink the brain can control computer, phone and other electronic gadgets. Video games can also be played with brain commands.
2. Imagine once you went to Germany but you don't know the German language. And routes are not known in Germany either. Then neuralink helps us a lot. If people who have spent their lifetime in Germany have neuralink, study the electrical impulses in their brains and take that data into your brain, you will know the entire route map of Germany and feel like you have spent your life there. In a way, telepathy is becoming a practical reality through Neuralink.
3. You can talk through your brain without the need for a phone.
4. Brain data of great scientists can be saved for future generations.
5. And we can download our memories.
6. Every technology around us can be made more advanced. A generation goes forward 50 times at a time.
7. Neuralink is 100 times better than other brain interfaces.

Drawbacks of Neuralink:

• Privacy and Security: The use of brain-computer interfaces raises concerns about privacy and security. Personal information and thoughts could be vulnerable to hacking or surveillance.

• Ethical concerns: Neuralink's technology raises ethical concerns about the potential for "mind-reading" and manipulation of thoughts and emotions. This could lead to a loss of autonomy and privacy.

• Societal Impact: Brain-computer interfaces could lead to a divide between those who have access to the technology and those who do not, potentially widening existing societal inequalities

• Unintended Consequences: As with any new technology, there may be unintended consequences that arise with the use of brain-computer interfaces. These could include negative effects on mental health or unintended changes to personality or behavior.

• Impact on Jobs: The use of BCI technology could lead to loss of jobs in certain fields.

• Cost: The technology is still in its infancy, and it may not be accessible to everyone due to the high cost.

Does Neuralink cause problems in the brain?

    The electrodes in Neuralink are about four micrometers in size each. It is 10 times shorter than human hair. These are very small and do not pose any risk to the brain. But in deep brain stimulation the width of the electrodes is greater. With them there is only 1% of 100% risk to the brain, so the electrodes in neuralink are still very small. Hence, the risk is still very low.

Conclusion:

    In conclusion, Neuralink is a cutting-edge technology company that is developing brain-computer interfaces with the goal of improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and enhancing human capabilities. The technology has the potential to revolutionize healthcare and education, as well as improve research on the brain. However, it also raises concerns about privacy, security, and ethical issues, and could lead to unintended consequences and societal impacts. It is important to consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of the technology and have open and honest conversations about its future impact on society. Additionally, it is important to ensure that the technology is accessible and affordable for all, so that the benefits can be widely shared. As the technology continues to evolve, it will be important to closely monitor its development and potential applications in order to ensure that it is used for the greater good. Once it is implemented, the entire human life will change. Suddenly humans become superheroes. The neuralink team has already performed this experiment on monkeys and rats and revealed data from their brains. Elon Musk gave a presentation saying that a monkey can access a computer with its brain. Neuralink is also being made available for public use.