Engineering the Brain: The Panel
Tomorrow at 3 P.M., I’m going to be speaking in a session on engineering the brain at MIT’s Emerging Technologies Conference. We’re going to delve into new technologies that take us the first step along the path toward “engineering the matter mediating the mind”–namely, precise readout and control of neurons and other cells in the brain and peripheral nervous system. I’ll talk about some unpublished work on new technologies for repairing abnormal neural computations. Other participants will include Mark Humayun, who leads a team at USC that designs and builds retinal stimulators for the blind; Robert Kirsch, who works at Case Western Reserve University and builds electrical stimulators capable of precisely controlling limbs; and Timothy Surgenor, CEO of Cyberkinetics, which implants recording arrays into the cortices of paralyzed patients so that they can communicate to the outside world. Should be exciting.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.
And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.
The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers.
Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce.
How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets
When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.
Google DeepMind’s new generative model makes Super Mario–like games from scratch
Genie learns how to control games by watching hours and hours of video. It could help train next-gen robots too.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.