Your Brain: It’s About More Than What You Think
For decades, science fiction has always loved cyborgs, telekinesis, and brain-to-brain communication, but this is actually a reality!
At the very head of our body system and body, our brain consists of hundreds of billions of little cells called neurons that carry information. This information aids us in every little thing we do, from you reading this sentence to you carrying out your daily tasks such as work or school. When engaging in an action the brain sends intention to your neurons. Your neurons then send electric impulses to where it’s required.
I think the brain is essentially a computer and consciousness is like a computer program. It will cease to run when the computer is turned off.
— Stephen Hawking
Further connecting brains and computers, we get into the topic of brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs.
What exactly is a brain-computer interface?
BCIs are very simply, a direct connection from your brain to a computer and communication with both. They’re the answer to a plethora of current issues and can currently restore hearing to the deaf and sight to the blind, only a few of many applications. Brain-computer interfaces are fairly broad and expand under a few sections, including prosthetics, objects, paralyzed limbs, and bypass damage.
How do BCIs work?
To start, brain-computer interfaces are either invasive or non-invasive. Invasive methods include electrocorticography (ECoG) and brain implants. ECoGs are a neuroimaging method, with the ability to capture high spatial and temporal resolution. Electrodes are placed directly on the exposed surface of the brain in order to record electrical activity coming from the cerebral cortex. Another invasive method is brain implants, where computer chips are surgically implanted into your brain, which is highly controversial but incredibly effective.
Non-invasive methods include electroencephalography or more commonly EEGs. EEGs measure electric fields around our brains as well as the postsynaptic potential. When a group of neurons fire together, the combined postsynaptic potential creates an electric field strong enough to then be detected by the EEG. Electroencephalography machines consist of electrodes that are placed on the scalp to measure changes in the electric field of our brain. A big advantage of the EEG is its great temporal resolution, but it struggles with spatial resolution, especially in comparison to ECoGs. The biggest downside is that EEGs can’t precisely narrow down where electric signals come from, and is, therefore, less accurate than invasive BCI methods.
Achoo! Neural dust…?
Neural dust is a sensor that is roughly three millimeters long and is a possible alternative to EEGs. It’s an invasive, tiny, wireless sensor that can be implanted in the brain and control prosthetics and false limbs. Neural dust converts ultrasound vibrations into electricity. Information is then transmitted to a receiver located outside of the body. Its small size is unlike all other brain implants. The goal is to decrease the size to 50 microns, which is about half the average width of a human hair. Put simply, really, really, really tiny.
What can brain-computer faces currently achieve?
BCIs can be used for epilepsy and seizure prevention, regaining control of lost or paralyzed limbs, using prosthetic limbs, controlling objects, and even bypassing damage. Not a lot of progress has been made in the realm of brain-computer interfaces in the last decade, however, the future looks promising.
Companies such as NeuroPace are helping those who struggle with epilepsy. Their RNS system monitors your brainwaves while searching for unusual activity, and detecting the electrical patterns specific to your brain. In order to stop the seizure in its tracks, pulses are sent to the brain to normalize the brainwaves. EEGs are commonly used to help restore control to those with paralyzed or lost limbs, though it takes years and years to fully master and maneuver like a typical limb. In order to control objects with your mind, you can place electrodes on your scalp and do the connections necessary to make that direct communication with your mind and the desired object. Bypassing damage is the process of placing electrodes on a certain part of the body to have it function as normal with directions from your brain and bypass any injury preventing typical function.
Not only brain-computer interfaces…
With this emerging technology, brains can not only connect and communicate with computers but other brains, animals, plants, literally anything! The brain is an extraordinarily complex and astounding organ, and with the right technology, it could solve very important health issues. This is referred to as BxIs, where “x” is the variable for a plethora of scenarios. Think about your friend that lives tens of thousands of miles from you, if you could communicate with them in a matter of moments or if you could share and view their memories? Possibilities are endless and promising, and brain-computer interfaces are only a gateway to a more evolved and connected society.
Everything we do, every thought we’ve ever had, is produced by the human brain. But exactly how it operates remains one of the biggest unsolved mysteries, and it seems the more we probe its secrets, the more surprises we find.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson
Who’s working on BCIs?
The leading companies in brain-computer interfaces include Neurable, Kernel, Neuralink, and NeuroPace. Neurable is a neurotech company that wants to “build full-stack neurotechnology tools that interpret human intent, measure emotion, and provide telekinetic control of the digital world.”
Kernel is working on building a non-invasive mind/body/machine interface (or MBMI) to improve, evolve and extend human cognition. Neuralink scales neural recording and stimulation to thousands of channels, in order to provide a clearer picture of activity in the brain.
These companies and so many more are pushing hard for brain-computer interfaces, it’s not only a concept that’s unreal but something that can save lives.
Key takeaways
What exact knowledge should you be taking from this article? Well if anything, you should know:
- the most complex organ can be utilized to solve crucial issues
- non-invasive vs. invasive methods of brain-computer interfaces
- EEGS, ECoGs, brain implants are methods of BCIs
- the brain can be connected to virtually anything, and with more development, we can make astonishing progress
- important and dedicated people are taking charge in this industry, including Elon Musk
Think of an issue in your life. An issue that really matters. Your family member struggles with cerebral palsy, or you know someone that has severe epilepsy. Brain-computer interfaces can evolve enough to aid them in their time of need. With the right applications and technology, the brain is so much more complicated than you would’ve thought, right?
