Why I wrote my book: Plugged In
From the Introduction to Plugged In: How Mind Machine Interfaces Will Transform the World
His. Neck. Is. Broken.
Four words you never want to hear about yourself.
Four words your parents never want to hear about their child.
On December 10, 2016, I heard those four words and in those four words I was put on a path no one wants to be on, but that path has had its positives.
My injury and concurrent recovery have opened my eyes to a large segment of the population struck down by disabilities, doing everything in their power to fight back. My book — this technology — is a way for them to fight back and with them countless other legions of destitute and injured patients suffering from a multitude of diseases.
The inspiration that sparked my interest in brain-computer interfaces started while I was at Craig. After coming home from Craig, I began to research this relationship between brain, body, and SCI. What I found was a treasure trove of fascinating information like the brain’s ability to bypass injuries, block out pain receptors, or rewire the nervous system around the injured part of the spinal cord. In this quest, however, I also found a lot of information about something I really didn’t understand: brain-computer interfaces.
A brain-computer interface (BCI) is defined as: “a collaboration between a brain and a device that enables signals from the brain to direct some external activity, such as control of a cursor or a prosthetic limb. The interface enables a direct communications pathway between the brain and the object to be controlled.”
At the core of my book — and my own quest — is the goal of developing an understanding of how we might use brain-computer interfaces to better link our minds and our bodies.
We are at a point in human history at which we are beginning to understand what makes us tick: how our brain communicates with our limbs, organs, and senses. We are at a critical tipping point as brain-computer interfaces continue to point us in the direction of solving ailments that have plagued humanity since antiquity. Will we see paralysis solved by this technology? Will brain-computer interfaces be the final puzzle piece to unlocking the inner workings of our cranium? What is certain is that while achieving those goals, scientists, doctors, and researchers have begun to find amazing applications of brain-computer interfaces across many areas of concern.
I wrote Plugged In: How Mind-Machine Interfaces Will Transform the World to explore all of the fascinating applications of brain-computer interfaces while also searching for a cure to spinal cord injuries. What I found has shown me that there is a great deal of hope for, not just spinal cord injury patients, but vast scores of other patients as well. Whether you are searching for the next medical breakthrough, interested in emerging tech, or simply curious about this amazing topic, then these blog posts and this book are for you. Over the next 10 weeks, I’ll be compiling some of those advancements from my book with you in this blog series. I hope you enjoy!
If you want to connect you can reach me here via email admangan2018@gmail.com or connect with me on social: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. Also, you can pre-order my book for only a dollar on Amazon.
