This video went viral. I just can’t wrap my brain around how he thought this was a good idea.
Need a brain break? Visit Wonders of Street View, an interactive map of some of the wackiest stuff on Google Maps in one place. Click “Random” in the top right corner for a new wonder. I spent too long exploring an abandoned mining town in Beaverhead County, Montana.
Noland Arbaugh is the first Neuralink patient
His brain-chip implant lets him control computers and other devices with his mind. Kim Komando talks to Noland about why he got it and how it works. What could this tech mean for the future? He shares his ideas and hopes.
“The Magic School Bus” IRL: Scientists are testing new tech that could stop a brain aneurysm before it happens. The method? Nanorobots smaller than most bacteria. They have a magnetic core that doctors can move to where they’re needed to deposit a clotting agent. That, in turn, prevents the stroke that comes after a brain aneurysm. Amazing.
13% risk reduction
Of cognitive decline by just exercising once a week. Even a 30-minute walk positively impacts your brain. If you can’t make it outside, take your calls or watch a show on a walking pad. You can do this!
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5 hours a week
Minimum time spent gaming to make your brain perform like it’s 13.7 years younger. A study found people who played video games regularly had better cognitive abilities, like memory and problem-solving. Here’s your great excuse to pick up an Xbox or PS5 console.
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Sweet dreams are made of cheese, so who am I diss a brie? Imagine being able to watch a video of your dreams. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging scanners, it could happen. We’ve already linked brain activity to visual experiences during sleep. Collect enough data, train an AI to decode the patterns and, boom, dreamy videos.
The second Neuralink brain chip patient is doing well: “Alex” is using design software to create 3D objects and play the first-person shooter game Counter-Strike, all with his mind. The next frontier? Connecting the brain chip to the physical world, such as fully controlled robotic arms. Incredible stuff.
Need a good story? I sat down with Noland Arbaugh, the first Neuralink brain chip implant patient. This brave guy shared the risks, including the possibility of the device being hacked, the application process and his hopes for the future. Check out the full exclusive interview on The Daily Mail. Give it a share and comment for me so my editor there asks me for more fabulous interviews like this one!
50% decline
In brain volume loss for folks trialing a drug similar to Ozempic. Liraglutide simulates the hormone GLP-1, which regulates appetite and blood sugar. It might be a tool to fight Alzheimer’s, too. Participants saw an 18% slower decline in cognitive function. Promising, right?
🧠 Putting Neuralink to shame: The only thing more sci-fi than a brain-controlled robot? A robot controlled by a lab-grown brain. Chinese scientists grew a “mini-brain,” plugged a chip into it and taught it how to control a robot using electrical signals. I just know Elon Musk is punching the air right now.
Like the plot for 1990’s Schwarzenegger’s flick, “Total Recall”: A scientist wants to implant prisoners with memories of their crimes from the victims’ perspectives. The Cognify system uses a brain implant and VR-like device to induce emotional trauma and physical pain. Ahem, what if the prisoner is a psycho and would enjoy those memories?
Researchers prove it: Our brains can distinguish deepfaked voices from real ones. The brain’s reward system, called the nucleus accumbens, is less active when you hear a fake voice. Your auditory cortex hears the difference, too. Next time you get a call and the voice feels “off,” trust your instincts.
9 years earlier
How soon a new test can predict dementia. The test scans brain connections while you’re at rest to predict dementia up to nine years before diagnosis with 80% accuracy. This could be huge, both for early treatment and prevention.
🤦♀️ Neither snow nor rain nor heat (but not fire!): An Amazon driver with hardly a brain opened a garage door, walked through the smoke, left a package inside the burning garage and didn’t bother calling 911. By the time a passerby called three-and-a-half hours later, it took fire departments from 10 surrounding towns to put out the flames. Watch the story here. Unbelievable.
🌎 A Swedish joke? There’s Norway I can Finnish it: Scientists developed an AI-enabled bilingual brain implant. One stroke survivor communicates in Spanish and English. It uses neural network technology, essentially a decoding system that transforms brain activity into sentences in both languages. Amazing.
80% accuracy
How well a new brain implant can “decode” your inner monologue (aka read your thoughts). Sounds creepy, but for people who lose their ability to speak, it’s a huge step towards helping them communicate.
🤗 Good news: After undergoing brain surgery to remove a tumor, a 21-year-old woman can speak again in a new way. OpenAI’s new Voice Engine recreated her voice using just a 15-second clip. Now, Alexis Bogan simply types words on her phone, and the AI speaks in real time. One of the first things Alexis did after regaining her voice? Order Starbucks. Amazing.