In some horrifically dystopian, yet still incredibly boring, future, I’ll be in a mental fog because I accidentally visited the wrong website, and now all of my excess brainpower is being hijacked to mine for Bitcoin.
I can’t wait.
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So you think a brain-to-computer interface will help with Alzheimer’s?
Neuralink’s work has precedent in the work of Miguel Nicolelis - (he speaks about the accomplishments his group has made in brain-machine-interfaces in this TED talk).
This area of research has the potential to address paralysis, mobility issues and numerous neurological ailments. Issues involved occupy territory in areas from statistical analysis to materials science, bio-mechanics and substance bio-compatibility - fundamental research here can reasonably be expected to yield tangible benefits that could significantly improve life for lots of people. One thing about fundamental research, it’s tough to predict in advance what discoveries are going to be good for, but it’s a good bet that some important things will come from it. We should be doing more of this kind of research. We also need to stop burning fossil fuels for energy, efforts that steer us further towards a non-petroleum economy are needed badly right now.
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I’m going to take your word for it, as I know very little of neuroscience myself. I just find it annoying to dismiss everything Musk does because he has not demonstrated himself to be a humanist.
Many people in history who have achieved anything significant weren’t.
Anyone who has ever tried to make a big idea into reality will find it hard to be so smug about his projects.
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I find the industrial corner cutting in all of his ventures problematic, and he has carved his companies into zones of the country that he is both allowed to cut corners and remove as many common rights for his workers as possible. You have to zoom really, really far out to see the net good in Musk’s venture capitalism.
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I’m sorry, this is in comparison to which large-scale automotive, rocketry, or medical device manufacturer who isn’t leveraging governments to get deals?
This is the same argument one hears everytime “soandso inc is getting out of paying taxes”. Of course they are. Elect some folks to close the loopholes while remembering this will raise prices and make sure the underprivileged are not unduly affected, then. And the same holds true for the sectors Musk is in as well.
I would love to see this stuff change. But I’m not going to declare the whole thing tainted just because corporations in these sectors use loopholes for their own gain. I’d like to hope that by the time I can legally vote in this country (hell, assuming the next election doesn’t eject me from this country) that I’ll be able to vote for politicians and initiatives that care about this stuff. Until then, I will spend my dollars and encourage support of organizations that appear to want to make the world a better place in ways I care about.
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Personally, I’m looking forward to installing a skull gun
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