Neuralink can simulate euphoria and stimulate the reward system on demand. But can a chip replace the ritual of rolling, lighting and getting lost in the smoke?
In Arco, an animated film nominated for an Academy Award and presented worldwide at the Cannes Film Festival, the young protagonist dons a multicolored hood with a diamond on his forehead that allows him to travel through time. Without it, he can’t or doesn’t know how. That diamond is what gives him that “power.” Recently, a video went viral on social media showing several people playing a video game without joysticks — supposedly using only their brains.
Inside their heads, like Arco’s protagonist with his diamond on his forehead, is the Neuralink chip: the device that allows them to control the character without using their fingers. Using nothing but their thoughts. Sometimes science fiction knocks on the door of the future. Other times, like now, science fiction and the future are one and the same. At this moment, science fiction is knocking on the door of reality.
After years of development, the Neuralink brain implant — a kind of mind computer developed by Elon Musk’s team — is starting to show results. Musk has even promised industrial production by 2026. Currently, Neuralink, which reportedly already has more than a dozen people living with a functioning implant, focuses on decoding neural signals and restoring senses.
However, the long-term potential points toward enhanced perception: from ultraviolet vision to mind expansion. Will humankind’s natural abilities be replaced by information supplied by a chip? Will the next Lionel Messi, LeBron James, or Shohei Ohtani be born, or made? One piece of pop-culture trivia: Noland Arbaugh, the first patient, uses the implant to play Civilization VI and Mario Kart. He has already broken world speed records using …
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Author: Hernán Panessi / High Times
