Earlier this year, the US Food and Drug Administration gave Neuralink, which Musk cofounded in 2016, approval to launch human trials of its device that Musk has described as a “Fitbit in your skull.” The FDA had previously rejected Neuralink’s bid for human testing in March over safety concerns, Reuters reported, including that the wires connected to the brain chip could move within a subject’s head or that the chip could overheat.

    • snorkbubs
      link
      fedilink
      115
      edit-2
      8 months ago

      Neuralink said in a blog post that it was looking for people who had paralysis in all four limbs because of a spinal-cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

      Not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, these people are willing to take a risk in order to overcome difficult conditions, and that should be allowed. On the other hand, it feels like Neuralink is preying on their hopes.

      If the company figurehead wasn’t a libertarian billionaire edgelord, I might look past that second hand. No chance of that, though. He’s going to kill people, and then he’s going to retweet memes about it.

      • @[email protected]
        cake
        link
        fedilink
        English
        468 months ago

        Wasn’t there a report about dozens of dead monkeys from animal trials a few months ago?

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          238 months ago

          I dont think they reached dozens, but yes this is the same project that had dead monkey headlines rolling around

            • @[email protected]
              link
              fedilink
              English
              11
              edit-2
              8 months ago

              I’ve read a lot of disturbing stuff on the internet but those descriptions of what the monkeys endured made me feel really uncomfortable

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            English
            18 months ago

            Well good news, if they implant in paralyzed patients and it doesn’t work no one will be able to tell they are suffering.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        -78 months ago

        On the other hand, it feels like Neuralink is preying on their hopes.

        It’s not different than any other experimental treatment.

        • snorkbubs
          link
          fedilink
          17
          edit-2
          8 months ago

          The sentence after the one you quoted explains how this is different from other treatments (it’s Musk). With any other company, the question wouldn’t have even entered my mind.

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            English
            -58 months ago

            The vitriol against anything vaguely Musky on lemmy is so perplexing to me.

            It’s nuts that people will froth at the mouth at the merest suggestion they consider buying a Tesla, and then drive off in their Volkswagen.

            • snorkbubs
              link
              fedilink
              5
              edit-2
              8 months ago

              It’s not just Lemmy, it’s all of the communities and people that he constantly trolls and shits on. The only people he hasn’t tried to piss off are neo-fascists and Russians. If someone doesn’t see that, they must not be paying attention. Which, well… that’s not a bad idea, to be honest.

              Regardless, it’s nice that everyone is finally waking up to the fact that he’s just a grifter who likes to call non-grifters pedos.

              Also, I caught the comment you made next to this one; what client are you using that shows downvotes? If they’re actually downvoted (shows +1 to me), it’s likely because the sentence, right after the one they quoted, answered their question. So, the comment as-is didn’t really add anything to the conversation.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          18 months ago

          I don’t know why you’re being downvoted- Your point is accurate and adds to the conversation. Welcome to reddit, I guess.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      438 months ago

      I admit, under the right circumstances, cybernetic enhancements could be cool.

      Anything connected in any way with Elon Musk is emphatically not the right circumstances, of course.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        58 months ago

        What I wouldn’t give for a cybernetic gastrointestinal tract. Maybe one where it combines a trash compactor with the butt, so I could literally shit bricks.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      208 months ago

      We’re dumb animals, not much different from other dumb animals.

      If squirrels had news media, they could have a story that says, “Thousands of squirrels are lining up to try to cross busy streets in front of cars.”

      And some number of squirrels would read that and think, “What the hell is wrong with them?”

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      128 months ago

      I mean, if I couldn’t communicate with the outside world or have use of my limbs I would take any risk to regain that functionality. This could have a real shot of giving people with terrible conditions a better quality of life.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    798 months ago

    “Think about how dumb the average person is. Now, realize that half of them are dumber than that.”

      • George Carlin
  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    598 months ago

    Love that they’re calling it a Fitbit in your skull. Cause Fitbit is currently dying and removing support. Imagine getting a skull implant that stops getting support and updates after a year, and you now have a useless device in your brain

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    43
    edit-2
    8 months ago

    “Your trial subscription to module: ‘breathing’ will end in 30 days. If you’d like to continue your subscription please accept the new terms and conditions and link your payment method using the following link.”

    P.s. I know neuralink cannot do this… Yet

  • MeanEYE
    cake
    link
    fedilink
    English
    398 months ago

    This is like self-solving problem then?

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      3
      edit-2
      8 months ago

      Just wait until everyone’s required to get one of these as a condition of employment for most jobs. By the time enough people get pissed off enough about it to try to do something, it’ll be too late.

      Drug free workplace act? That’s old news how about a free will-free workplace.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        28 months ago

        Oh ffs no near timeline is going to require literal brain surgery for a condition of employment. Why the hell would they want you to be able to look at porn while you work?

  • @Lyrac
    cake
    link
    English
    328 months ago

    tf is my skull gonna do with a fitbit?

    • @Ogeon
      link
      English
      488 months ago

      It’s useful for keeping track of your mental gymnastics.

      • @Lyrac
        cake
        link
        English
        118 months ago

        Brilliant. Purchasing now.

  • Nougat
    link
    fedilink
    308 months ago

    I’m sure Musk won’t randomly disable any features remotely.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    288 months ago

    I would guess, and this is completely a guess, these are Elon fans who think that the vaccines were dangerous and had microchips in them.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    258 months ago

    It does not surprise me that muskrats would sign up for this. Theyre basically brainwashed anyway so a chip wouldnt really change much.