Niamh Shackleton
Neuralink's first human patient has spoken out about how much the innovative device has changed his life.
Noland Arbaugh, 29, is the first person to have the brain implant fitted.
The young man was a victim of a ' freak diving accident' eight years agp, which left him paralyzed from the neck down.
But his new Neuralink has allowed him to enjoy the things he used to - in particular, video gaming.
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As to how the implant works, the chip is said to use 'thin, flexible threads equipped with 1,024 electrodes that record the activity of neurons', Capital Technology University explained.
Neurons are the nerve cells that send messages all over the body to drive nearly all human function.
The university further explains on its site: "The coin-sized device is powered by an advanced custom chip within the implant that processes these signals and transmits them to a digital device through a standard Bluetooth connection –– a novel step in BCI development.
"Surgical robots meticulously weave these threads into the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for the brain’s higher-level processes like learning and emotion, to ensure precise placement of the electrodes."
Arbaugh had the device fitted in January, as confirmed by company founder Elon Musk, but his identity wasn't revealed until recently.
Over the weekend, Arbaugh shared a video of a speech he gave at the Neuralink headquaters 'a few weeks back'.
In the hour-long clip, Arbaugh gave a glowing review of his life changing new brain implant and shared details of what his life has been like since having it fitted.
The 29-year-old told Neuralink employees: "It makes - this is going to sound really kind of crazy - but it makes being paralyzed really not that bad.
"Anything that makes me more independent I'm all for and this is probably going to make people like me the most independent that they might ever be until it all gets cured - and I think that's a very real possibility."
Neuralink was kind enough to open their doors for me to tour their headquarters a few weeks back. It was an amazing experience and a day I'll never forget. This was at a company wide meeting at the end of the day. Thank you to everyone who made this possible. Hope y'all enjoy!… pic.twitter.com/YNa2Jtjhnk
— Noland Arbaugh (@ModdedQuad) March 22, 2024
"What you all are doing is just going to change the world," Arbaugh later added.
"It’s going to change how people like me are able to just live their lives."
In regards to the surgery itself, Arbaugh insisted that it was 'easy'.
While he was expecting a long recovery period, he was discharged just a day later.
Along with his speech was a presentation of the first month of the 29-year-old's life since his surgery.
In one clip, he was seen playing Mario Kart with his dad.
Elsewhere, Arbaugh shared that since having his Neuralink fitted, he's played hours of chess and has stayed up late playing Civilization VI.
Sounds like time well spent to me.