Elon Musk's Neuralink brain chip lets paralysed woman write her name after 20 YEARS ‘just by thinking'
Once inserted in the participants brain, the chip allows users to control digital interfaces through brain signals alone
, Senior Technology & Science Reporter
Published: 11:26,
Updated: 11:26,
A PARALYSED woman has written her name for the first time in 20 years using only her mind.
Audrey Crews is one of the participants in Elon Musk's Neuralink trial, having had a computer chip installed in her brain.
4
4
The chip, or brain-computer interface (BCI) as Neuralink calls it, connects Crews' brain to a computer and allows her to control the mouse on the screen.
Crews lost movement at age 16, and is the first woman to receive the implant.
Sharing the moment on X (formerly Twitter), Crews posted: 'I tried writing my name for the first time in 20 years. I'm working on it. Lol #Neuralink.'
In shaky writing on her laptop screen is the word 'Audrey'.
Musk, co-founder of Neuralink, replied to the post, saying: "She is controlling her computer just by thinking. Most people don't realise it is possible."
It's hard for most people to imagine what it would be like writing - or even gaming - using only your mind.
But Crews described it as "like writing your name in your head".
The telepathic powers were granted to Crews as part of the company's PRIME study, which aims to test BCI chips in human subjects.
Once inserted in the participants' brain, the chip allows users to control digital interfaces through brain signals alone.
In a follow-up post, Crews explained: 'It was brain surgery, they drilled a hole in my skull and placed 128 threads into my motor cortex.
'The chip is about the size of a quarter.'
While Musk hopes the technology will one day be used to help quadriplegics walk again, the company is still far away from this end result.
What is Neuralink?
Here's what you need to know...
Neuralink is a project that aims to embed computer chips in people's brains
The idea is to give humans hyper-intelligence by merging them with artificial intelligence
Tiny threads thinner than a human hair would pump information into your noggin
It would work a bit like an internet cable, transmitting data in and out at high speeds
As well as making us smarter, the project promises to merge us with computers and phones
That means you could control your gizmos with your brain
Neuralink is bankrolled by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk
He's previously said the tech could save us from a machine uprising in future
The device does not yet restore physical mobility.
'I also want to clarify this implant will not allow me to walk again or regain movement," said Crews.
"It's strictly for telepathy only.'
Crews is one of seven paralysed patients undergoing the trial.
4
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
What happens right before lightning strikes? Scientists have solved the mystery
Scientists say they've finally solved the mystery behind what happens just before lightning strikes. While famous inventor and U.S. Founding Father Benjamin Franklin discovered the connection between lightning and electricity back in 1752, experts still had not fully understood the journey from the cloud to the ground more than 270 years later. 'Our findings provide the first precise, quantitative explanation for how lightning initiates in nature," Victor Pasko, a professor of electrical engineering in the Penn State School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, said in a statement announcing the findings. "It connects the dots between X-rays, electric fields and the physics of electron avalanches." So, what's the deal with the atmospheric processes that trigger the giant, explosive sparks of electricity that can heat the air to a temperature five times hotter than the surface of the sun? According to Pasko and his team, the powerful chain reaction works similarly to an invisible pinball machine. Inside the storm clouds, strong electric fields speed up electrons that crash into molecules, such as nitrogen and oxygen. The reactions produce electromagnetic radiation commonly known as X-rays, as well as even more electrons and high-energy photons. Photons are the fundamental particles that make up light. After this, the lightning bolts are born. Atmospheric scientists knew how charged particles react within clouds. Protons rise and electrons descend toward the ground, resulting in a positive electric charge building on the ground. When that positive charge 'reaches out' to the approaching negative charge and the channels connect, the electrical transfer is what we see as lightning, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. To reach these new conclusions, the international authors used mathematical modeling, simulating the physical conditions in which a lightning bolt is likely to originate. 'We explained how photoelectric events occur, what conditions need to be in thunderclouds to initiate the cascade of electrons, and what is causing the wide variety of radio signals that we observe in clouds all prior to a lightning strike,' Zaid Pervez, a doctoral student in electrical engineering, said. 'To confirm our explanation on lightning initiation, I compared our results to previous modeling, observation studies and my own work on a type of lightning called compact intercloud discharges, which usually occur in small, localized regions in thunderclouds.' They also sought to explain observations of what is known as 'dark lightning' or a terrestrial gamma-ray flash. The invisible X-ray bursts are comprised of the flashes, which are produced in our atmosphere. They're often produced without flashes of light and radio bursts, which are familiar hallmarks of lightning during stormy weather. The researchers wanted to know why. 'In our modeling, the high-energy X-rays produced by relativistic electron avalanches generate new seed electrons driven by the photoelectric effect in air, rapidly amplifying these avalanches,' Pasko said. 'In addition to being produced in very compact volumes, this runaway chain reaction can occur with highly variable strength, often leading to detectable levels of X-rays, while accompanied by very weak optical and radio emissions. This explains why these gamma-ray flashes can emerge from source regions that appear optically dim and radio silent.'
Daily Mail
14 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Joe Rogan is stunned by 'alien probe' hurtling towards Earth at 130,000mph
Joe Rogan expressed shock during his podcast after reading a article detailing a mysterious interstellar object reportedly on a path toward Earth. NASA has identified the object, named 3I/ATLAS, as a likely comet, but Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has proposed a more controversial theory, suggesting the object could be 'an alien probe.' Rogan said that the object is approaching from behind the sun, making it difficult to detect, adding that Loeb believes the object is on a direct trajectory toward Earth and could arrive in 2027. During Tuesday's episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, the podcaster read aloud from the article, reacting in real-time to its contents. ' The object measures roughly seven miles in diameter. Holy f***. How big is New York City?'* he said, astonished. 'Bigger than Mount Everest, making it the largest interstellar object ever spotted.' The article also included skepticism from astronomer Chris Lintott of the University of Oxford, who told Live Science that Loeb's theory was 'nonsense on stilts.' Rogan acknowledged the criticism but defended Loeb's credentials: 'Harvard is legit and Avi is a legit astronomer.' The podcaster then speculated that the object could be intentionally sent to Earth to wipe out humanity and reset civilization, similar to how the dinosaurs were wiped out. Rogan offered his scenario for what could happen if the object turns out to be an alien craft, suggesting 'that might be the end of the Earth.' He speculated that the timing of the object's arrival could coincide with a tipping point in the rise of artificial intelligence, imagining a future where AI gains control of the planet and deems humanity unsalvageable. 'It wipes everything out. Just like when the dinosaurs were here. Maybe that's how they reset the game,' said Rogan. In his view, such an extinction-level event could pave the way for a new beginning. 'We start fresh with new organisms, and then they come along and do genetic engineering, just like they did with us and monkeys, to create a new version of humans,' he continued. 'But this time, they make us a little less territorial, a little more inquisitive, more interested in innovation and less focused on controlling resources. Because that's what f**** us.' 3I/ATLAS was first identified on July 1 in data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. A team of more than 200 researchers determined that the object's nucleus, the solid core of a comet, is roughly 3.5 miles wide, and its appearance suggests it contains large amounts of ice and dust in a surrounding cloud known as a coma. However, Loeb recently challenged this classification in a preprint study published on arXiv. Loeb and his team found that 3I/ATLAS appears to lack a coma altogether, raising doubts about whether it is a natural object. According to the Harvard professor, the absence of a coma could mean the object isn't a comet at all but something artificial. 'The consequences, should the hypothesis turn out to be correct, could potentially be dire for humanity, and would possibly require defensive measures to be undertaken (though these might prove futile),' the study warned. Loeb's theory draws from a bleak scientific concept known as the Dark Forest Hypothesis, which suggests that intelligent civilizations may remain silent or act preemptively to eliminate threats, meaning they could view humanity as something to destroy before it becomes dangerous. 'As a scientist, I respond to evidence collected by instruments, the professor shared in a blog post on Wednesday. 'As of now, we have anomalies but we need more data on 3I/ATLAS or other interstellar objects in order to ascertain whether any one of them is technological in origin. 'Once we find an interstellar artifact beyond a reasonable doubt, the next step will be to figure out its technological capabilities and intent.'
Reuters
14 minutes ago
- Reuters
Palo Alto's $25 billion deal for CyberArk targets rising AI-driven threats
July 30 (Reuters) - Palo Alto Networks (PANW.O), opens new tab will buy Israeli peer CyberArk Software (CYBG.F), opens new tab for about $25 billion, in its biggest deal yet, as CEO Nikesh Arora seeks to build a comprehensive cybersecurity provider to tap into rising AI-driven demand. Wednesday's cash-and-stock deal, one of the largest tech takeovers this year, underscores a consolidation in the cybersecurity industry as customers streamline vendors after facing breaches while relying on a patchwork of firms. It follows Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab $32 billion acquisition of Israeli startup Wiz in March, and will broaden Palo Alto's cybersecurity offerings by adding identity security tools, bolstering its appeal to large enterprise customers. A surge in cyberattacks, including data breaches and ransomware, has driven demand for more comprehensive defenses. That has fueled interest in firms including CyberArk. Earlier this month, Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab said hackers broke into its on-premises SharePoint servers, hitting more than 100 groups including U.S. agencies and fanning fears about identity protection. "The rise of AI and the explosion of machine identities have made it clear that the future of security must be built on the vision that every identity requires the right level of privilege controls," Arora said in a statement. CyberArk specializes in privileged access management, technology that helps organizations safeguard sensitive systems by limiting and monitoring access to critical accounts. Its customers include Carnival Corp (CCL.N), opens new tab, Panasonic and Aflac. The Israeli company's investors will receive $45.00 in cash and 2.2005 shares of Palo Alto for each share they own. That values CyberArk at $495 a share, representing a 29.2% premium to Monday's close, the last session before reports of deal talks, according to Reuters calculations. Palo Alto shares fell 8%, while CyberArk slipped 2.2% to around $424 after jumping 13.5% on Tuesday. Analysts said the drop in Palo Alto shares reflected investor concerns about post-acquisition integration, given that it has usually targeted smaller deals of less than $1 billion. "It's a bit of an unknown territory for Palo Alto," said Imtiaz Koujalgi, Roth Capital Partners' managing director of software research. "Also, Palo Alto talks about integrating its acquisitions into its platform, but given the scale of CyberArk and installed base that could be a challenge." Palo Alto has completed more than 14 acquisitions since 2019, including at least seven in the past two years, to bolster its cloud and AI security capabilities. CyberArk reported revenue of about $1 billion for 2024, up 33% year-over-year, but its loss increased by about $27 million to $93.5 million as expenses jumped. The latest buyout could accelerate Palo Alto's AI security push, as it can tap its large sales force to drive adoption of CyberArk's tools, seen as vital for securing AI systems. "It helps broaden the portfolio since Palo Alto does not have any offering in the 'identity' space," said Koujalgi, adding the deal could also provide a boost to the company's slowing next‑generation security business. Global cybersecurity spending is set to grow 12.2%, opens new tab in 2025, as rising AI-driven threats push companies to adopt stronger defenses, according to IDC. Palo Alto said the buyout is expected to close in the second half of its fiscal year 2026 and would immediately add to its revenue growth and margin. Analysts do not expect tough antitrust scrutiny for the deal, given the little overlap in the companies' services, but they said it could accelerate M&A in the sector. One Israeli company seemed to rebuff that idea for now. Check Point Software Technologies (CHKP.O), opens new tab said earlier in the day it was not looking to be bought out like some local rivals.
