of our body such as tools , computers or cars . Some of those are quite complex and very different from our body , yet we learn to handle them reasonably well and largely without thinking . And just like the monkeys in our experiments — which were moving a cursor or a robotic arm with their brain activity , even though they still had functioning arms — people have a tendency to use their own bodies less if they can use a more efficient device instead .
Do you think that all of us might one day consider it practical to put an array into our brain so we can communicate with a computer or other devices more directly ?
I don ’ t . Evolution has given us such fabulous natural interfaces that I think the barrier of brain surgery will remain too high . There ’ s always a risk of something going wrong , so I don ’ t think we should use implants for pure augmentation like that . Some people will do dangerous things , of course , but fortunately , you can ’ t easily stick an electrode in the right place in your own brain .
Have you heard of neurologist Phil Kennedy ? He was the first person to implant an electrode in a human permanently , and he later had himself implanted in Belize , as no one in the United States would do anything like that . I find that disturbing — he ’ s a perfectly healthy , very bright man .
I think the aim of the field should be to create the opportunity for people with paralysis to restore or achieve typical abilities . For people who want to be superenabled , I think we need some serious regulations , as that could be extraordinarily disruptive . It also raises other issues — if I am rich and you are not , and only my child gets a brain booster implant , this creates a very unfair situation .
How do you apply such ethical considerations to your own work ?
I think we should always strive to make the technologies we create available to as many people as possible . That doesn ’ t mean we should stop developing or producing them because they currently cost too much and we can ’ t give them to everybody who needs them . But eventually , that should be the goal .
What is the biggest obstacle to getting this technology out there to people who need it ?
One issue is that the arrays tend to degrade over time in the rather harsh environment of the brain . But as some have lasted for over five years , I don ’ t think this is the main obstacle , as you ’ ll probably want to get a new one anyway after that much time has passed .
If you ask me , the biggest problem is that people have a plug on their head with wires everywhere connecting them to a computer . For this to become a product people can use at home , it will have to be largely technician-free and located entirely inside the skull .
At the Wyss Center , we are trying to do exactly that : develop an implantable system that can radio out the signals . That is very hard , because we need to make the entire device small , and it will need a very good battery . If you can use this only 45 minutes a day to save power , it ’ s not worth it . So that ’ s what we are working on right now .
This article was originally published in Knowable Magazine . Read the original article
Tim Vernimmen is a freelance journalist based near Antwerp , Belgium . He writes about the science of life .
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