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Brain ImplantsBrain-computer interfaces, also known as neural interfaces, are bridges that connect the brain to external devices. These neuroprostheses record and transmit neuronal activity to external devices, such as computers or prosthetic devices. The external devices then translate the activity into digital output, improving over time as machine learning allows it to create a dictionary of neural activity and the patient's intended outcome. BCIs can also send information into or stimulate the brain via a process known as deep-brain stimulation. The technology can send brain signals past neurons damaged by neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's, or electrically stimulate neurons to mitigate mental health conditions, including OCD and treatment-resistant depression. Outside of the immediate medical risks of surgery and infection, there may also be long-term and yet-to-be-determined BCI-related side effects. In addition, the early nature of BCIs means there's also the risk of implants being discontinued, technology losing support, and implant manufacturers and developers going out of business.Explore Brain Implants

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Neuralink brain implants have enabled a paralyzed person to play video gamesAs one of twelve test subjects in Neuralink's PRIME study, Rob Greiner's implant translates his brain's activity into digital commands for the 'Battlefield 6' game. He can now also design 3D models and 3D-print objects using his thoughts. ZME Science Predictive brain implants raise ethical concerns about patient autonomy after surgeryThese devices can accurately forecast neurological events like seizures and suggest or even automatically deliver responses. Their constant monitoring and prescriptive functions may blur the line between patient choice and device influence. National Library of Medicine Brain implants can help colorblind people hear colorsColorblind artist Neil Harbisson was born into a world of grey. In 2004, he had a chip installed connected to an external color frequency sensor. Once the sensor "reads" a color, it sends a signal to the chip and plays an associated sound both in and outside Harbisson's head. TED Biohacking can include everything from vitamins to brain implantsThe growing field of biohacking hopes to help people work with their bodies to achieve health and longevity goals. Some claims go beyond current science, promising to help biohackers avoid cancer or cure heart disease, and much of the evidence supporting "biohacks" stems from subjective self-reports rather than clinical trials. CNA Insider Using brain implants to restore visionSeveral companies are attempting to create brain-computer interfaces that skip over retinas and optic nerves to allow visual input to go straight to the brain, potentially restoring some sight to the blind. Clinical trial findings suggest restored sight is sparse and manifests differently than a sighted person might expect, appearing as specks of "light" clusters called phosphenes to help differentiate one's surroundings. WIRED Brain implants are restoring movement and communication in early human trialsSeveral companies developing brain-computer interfaces have begun testing on humans with promising results. These implants have helped reanimate paralyzed limbs and enable communication, though ethical concerns remain about data privacy. 1A An essay exploring how living day-to-day with a brain implant helps restore a sense of identityCompanies like Neuralink are experimenting with volunteers who have lost control over their bodies. Many of the program's participants claim the most significant benefit from the tool is the ability to perform simple, mundane tasks, such as playing video games or shaking hands, rather than more obvious milestones like walking or eating. This essay explores what it's like, day to day, to use a brain implant. IEEE Spectrum Why 'spacing out' or dissociating may help reduce trauma awarenessDissociation may have developed as a defense mechanism in the brain to help navigate intense emotional or physical situations by providing out-of-body experiences that put distance between the mind and the environment. However, in about 1.1% and 1.5% percent of the general population, a severe form of this separation can produce alternate identities, or alters. IFLScience Through 2025, two-thirds of known exoplanets have been detected via transitsThis technique involves observing periodic, consistent dips in a star's brightness caused by an exoplanet passing in front of it. Observing wobbles in a star as it is pulled by an orbiting exoplanet's gravity has become the second most common detection method, followed by microlensing and direct exoplanet observation. IEEE Spectrum Brain-reading devices are helping paralyzed people to touchIn clinical trials, implanted brain-computer interfaces are allowing dozens of individuals with paralysis to control prosthetics that are restoring a range of skills, including drinking coffee and feeding oneself. One area of related prosthetic research is creating a synthetic sense of touch—coupling the brain implant with pressure sensors in prosthetic robotic fingertips to enable an approximation of a sense of touch. Some animals may anchor their brain cells to specific landmarks to determine directionIn a study of bats exploring a new area, specific sets of "head direction cells" were seen becoming active based on bats' orientation when moving, and this activity became more coordinated over time. Researchers suspect, like humans, bats and other animals establish this sense of direction based on movement relative to known points of interest. Quanta Magazine A cochlear implant stimulates parts of the cochlea directly, with limited pitch and timbre capabilitiesPeople with these devices have to learn or relearn how to train their brains to interpret nerve signals as sound. The range of the type of sounds that the brain can distinguish with a cochlear implant is limited and consequently it's difficult to understand a tonal language or distinguish individual speakers in a crowd. SciShow Our brains trick us into seeing an enlarged Moon when on the horizonHumans perceive the sky as a flattened bowl and judge the size of an object by accounting for its perceived distance away from us. Combined, studies have found that the Moon on the horizon is perceived to be larger because the terrain makes it seem like it is farther away, similar to the Ponzo illusion. Live Science Studies show AI tools can result in passive learning with less retentionAlthough ChatGPT, Google's AI overviews, and other similar software can save time, a study of more than 10,000 adults showed that reliance on them yielded work products that were more generic and included fewer facts than those produced solely by Google search. Weaker brain connectivity has also been observed when users write using AI. Science Vs The Cybathlon is an international competition for assistive technologyThe competition pits teams against each other in eight races targeting different innovations, such as arm prostheses, leg prostheses, and vision assistance. Participants in the Cybathlon use it to push the boundaries of technology, including brain implants and assistive software that incorporates AI. The New York Times Research suggests using AI for schoolwork may harm critical thinking skillsAn MIT study finds lower brain engagement in students who used ChatGPT, resulting in consistent underperformance in neural, linguistic and behavioral levels. AI users struggled to recall their own essays, while the brain-only group showed the highest neural connectivity and satisfaction. TIME Prolonged space travel significantly impacts multiple human body systemsAstronauts can lose 20% of their muscle mass after two weeks and 10% of their bone mass after six months in space. Decreased sharpness of eyesight and changes in neural connectivity, brain structure and gut bacteria have also been observed. BBC 'Freakonomics' celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025The book 'Freakonomics' arguably changed the business landscape when it came out, and has since evolved into other forms of media and a cultural phenomenon. Spotify Sleep is often viewed individually, when its impact and meaning may be more communalAt any given point, roughly 2 billion people may be asleep on Earth. The typical scientific description of sleep focuses on its individual impact, but the phenomenon shapes whole cultures and eons. This essay prompts a fresh rethinking of the importance of sleep for humanity. Aeon Rune Elmqvist forwent practicing medicine to invent the first inkjet printerThe Mingograph recorded real-time physiological signals from a patient's electrocardiogram, helping doctors diagnose heart and brain conditions. Eight years later, in 1958, Elmqvist worked with cardiac surgeon Åke Senning to develop the first fully implantable pacemaker. IEEE Spectrum Research suggests the brain maintains connections to lost limbsDecades-old research suggested brain reorganization after amputations, but brain scans show unchanged limb representations. Phantom limb pain may result from such unchanged brain maps, which may enhance prosthetic limb control in brain-computer interface technology. NPR US military professionalism gave America a decisive edge in the warThe professionalism and engineering expertise of West Point–trained officers—like Grant, Lee, and Meade—gave the US a major advantage in the Mexican-American War, helping them win every major battle. Smithsonian Magazine The impact of gravitational force on our bodies surprised early coaster riders and engineersThere is only a certain amount of gravitational force that the body can handle before dealing with consequences like short-term vision loss or unconsciousness. Increased scientific understanding has largely reduced these impacts, with engineers combining periods of intense pressure with periods of relief. TED-Ed Exercise changes your genes without changing your DNAPhysical activity can turn beneficial genes on and harmful genes off, without altering the underlying DNA code. This engaging article explains the epigenetic mechanisms that take place with exercise and ultimately result in improved metabolism, lower inflammation, and optimized brain function. Science Connected Magazine Microplastics have been shown to disrupt photosynthesis in plants and algaeA major study found that pieces of plastic less than five millimeters long are causing an estimated 4% to 14% loss of the world's wheat, rice, and maize, potentially putting an additional 400 million people at risk of starvation within 20 years. The damage from microplastics to crops may already rival the impact of climate change on food supplies. The Guardian Researchers use the brain's ability to edit memories to explore memory deletionScientists have successfully implanted false memories in mice after studying how the editing process works in the brain. Beyond potentially deleting memories in those with PTSD, upcoming research may allow clinicians to forecast the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. National Geographic Using AI to restore speech 30 years after a strokeThrough a novel surgical procedure involving electrodes implanted in the brain, along with the help of artificial intelligence, a stroke patient is regaining her ability to speak. This technology converts her thoughts into speech through a digital avatar, allowing her to verbally express herself for the first time in decades. UC San Francisco Menopause affects the brain in complex waysLisa Mosconi, a neuroscientist studying the impact of menopause on the brain, explains in this video how menopause directly impacts a woman's brain health and explores why this is an important and often overlooked area in menopause and women's aging healthcare discussions. TED Chronic drug use can cause neurological changes in the brainNeuroscientist Judy Grisel breaks down the biology of addiction, examining how drugs hijack the brain’s natural reward system and create lasting neural changes. The physiological and neurological impacts of chronic drug use require a multifaceted treatment approach. TED-Ed Brain-computer interfaces create a direct link between the brain and external devicesThe technology enables users to control prosthetics, computers, or even games using only their thoughts. In 2021, a monkey played table tennis using only its brain, thanks to a Neuralink device, marking a major milestone before human trials began in 2024. 1440 Elon Musk's Neuralink's N1 chip can wirelessly read brain signals from over 2,000 electrodesThe device is a battery-powered brain implant that transmits data via Bluetooth. Neuralink's near-term objectives for the device focus on unlocking new treatments for paralysis, neurological disorders, and some psychiatric conditions. WIRED DBS effectiveness in treating addiction remains uncertain amid inconsistent resultsCritics argue that deep brain stimulation should be considered a last resort and not a scalable solution, given its high costs and trials limited to small samples. However, it has helped some patients manage severe opioid use disorder when conventional methods didn’t work. Undark Magazine Neural implants blur the line between personal intention and machine executionA key ethical dilemma—the contemplation conundrum—explores whether implants might misinterpret mere imagination as intent to act. Neuroscientists have found no brain signal that clearly marks when someone decides to act, making intent hard to detect in neurotechnological systems. BBC Open brain surgery is not required for BCIs inserted via blood vessel injectionSynchron's brain-computer interface, the Synchron Switch, takes advantage of preexisting medical devices, such as stents and catheters. Cells grow over the device over a 90-day period, incorporating it into the vessel wall and minimizing clots. CNET Deep brain stimulation helps manage movement in patients with neurological disordersDBS is a surgical procedure that uses implanted electrodes to send electrical signals to targeted areas in the brain, interrupting abnormal neural activity. It may be implemented when medications lose effectiveness or cause disruptive side effects. Johns Hopkins Medicine Interface device implanted into ALS patients restored some of their abilitiesMost people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, require assistance with daily life due to loss of motor control. The electrode-coated, stent-like device used motor mapping data and machine learning to translate brain activity into actions. BMJ Mind-controlled bionic arms use nerve implants to restore sensation and movementUnlike traditional prosthetics that rely on surface electrodes or mechanical parts, this system uses implanted titanium and nerve-connected electrodes to enable a seamless brain-to-arm connection. Patients train in virtual reality with their implanted signals before using the physical prosthesis. WIRED Losing a brain-computer interface can trigger lasting psychological distressA clinical trial participant with severe epilepsy described becoming “one” with her implant after it gave her unprecedented control over her seizures. When the device was removed due to the company shutting down, she experienced deep emotional trauma and a sense of personal loss. MIT Technology Review

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