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Neuralink and the Brain’s Magical Future
108 pages, ebook
Published April 20, 2017
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August 9, 2017
Neuralink là công ty của Elon Musk sáng tạo, mục đích để giúp con người cạnh tranh được với AI trong tương lai bằng cách cấy chip vào não bộ để truyền tải thông tin, suy nghĩ của não bộ lên cloud để lưu giữ hoặc chia sẻ cho người khác. Bởi trong thời kỳ được tạo ra nhờ AI và chắc chắn nó sẽ thông minh hơn con người, thì con người có một giải pháp khá tốt: trở thành AI.
Một cuốn sách ảo (thực chất là blog post) mở mang đầu óc đầy chi tiết với cách truyền tải đơn giản và dễ hiểu về các vấn đề vô cùng phức tạp: cấu trúc não người & tương lai của nó trong thời kỳ ASI tương lai. Gần 200 trang tràn ngập những thông tin, kiến thức, nguồn cảm hứng và những viễn cảnh tương lai, cuốn sách đem lại cho người đọc một cái nhìn tổng quan về tương lai cũng như sự đồng cảm cho dự án Neuralink của Elon Musk.
Một cuốn sách ảo (thực chất là blog post) mở mang đầu óc đầy chi tiết với cách truyền tải đơn giản và dễ hiểu về các vấn đề vô cùng phức tạp: cấu trúc não người & tương lai của nó trong thời kỳ ASI tương lai. Gần 200 trang tràn ngập những thông tin, kiến thức, nguồn cảm hứng và những viễn cảnh tương lai, cuốn sách đem lại cho người đọc một cái nhìn tổng quan về tương lai cũng như sự đồng cảm cho dự án Neuralink của Elon Musk.
May 8, 2017
This guy is a really big fan of Elon Musk! Good thing though, he backs it up by a hell of a detailed analysis. It's really mind-boggling to read about Brain Machine Interfaces in a manner that doesn't talk about it as a fringe possibility in the next century but something that might happen in my lifetime.
I particularly loved his discussion on how we are not just individual humans living on the planet, rather we are elements of the larger Human Colossus. His discussion on augmented human minds vs ASI reminded me of Ted Chiang's story from Stories of Your Life and Others, "The Evolution of Human Science", which is a good read too.
This got me excited! (And made me sign up for the Elon Musk cult!)
I particularly loved his discussion on how we are not just individual humans living on the planet, rather we are elements of the larger Human Colossus. His discussion on augmented human minds vs ASI reminded me of Ted Chiang's story from Stories of Your Life and Others, "The Evolution of Human Science", which is a good read too.
This got me excited! (And made me sign up for the Elon Musk cult!)
May 14, 2021
Not exactly a book, but each of Tim's regular posts are comparable to the length of a short novel anyway. I decided to pick up this post again after not finishing it when it first came out in 2017. I had just finished reading Hank Green's A Beautifully Foolish Endeavour, and while the novel might not be the most well written thing, it made me think a lot about Brain Machine Interface tech and it's possibilities.
It might be because of my general interest in the relevant topics, but I enjoyed reading this a lot. Learned so many new things and discovered some great resources(How did I not know about kottke.org before now?!?). The whole post was nothing short of a treat for me - I mean I shouldn’t have expected any less from my favourite blogger of all time.
It might be because of my general interest in the relevant topics, but I enjoyed reading this a lot. Learned so many new things and discovered some great resources(How did I not know about kottke.org before now?!?). The whole post was nothing short of a treat for me - I mean I shouldn’t have expected any less from my favourite blogger of all time.
May 24, 2020
Tim does it again. Makes the high school biology interesting(or probably taught/presented the proper way).
So basically in this post, we got a little bit in the world of brain and BMIs, where and why the development happens in this peculiar domain that we struggle to understand. He presented a completely new view that I would've never thought about myself, insane ideas that actually make sense in a futuristic world that I am totally excited to see, if it happens closely to what is presented, in the next 50 years(hope cryonics works otherwise).
So this is another important topic to pay attention to, when it comes to development, especially because BMIs(or WBI?) are in a strong relation with ASI, and the future of us.
I really recommend this to anyone interested, it's a must-read, but it's a bit tedious to read, hence the 4 stars.
So basically in this post, we got a little bit in the world of brain and BMIs, where and why the development happens in this peculiar domain that we struggle to understand. He presented a completely new view that I would've never thought about myself, insane ideas that actually make sense in a futuristic world that I am totally excited to see, if it happens closely to what is presented, in the next 50 years(hope cryonics works otherwise).
So this is another important topic to pay attention to, when it comes to development, especially because BMIs(or WBI?) are in a strong relation with ASI, and the future of us.
I really recommend this to anyone interested, it's a must-read, but it's a bit tedious to read, hence the 4 stars.
May 14, 2017
Mind = completely blown
This is literally the most important thing I've read maybe ever (same as some of Tim Urban's other work). The implications for our future and our humanity and what that even means and omg my brain doesn't even know what it is anymore.
I can't wait to reread this in a year or so and see where we're at with some of this technology and software. Learning about cochlear implants was especially fascinating and started my brain down the route of what other senses we could heighten based off of what our brains can do and not what our sense organs can do.
I could write a long review of all the amazing things but really you should just read the book/post. It's incredible.
This is literally the most important thing I've read maybe ever (same as some of Tim Urban's other work). The implications for our future and our humanity and what that even means and omg my brain doesn't even know what it is anymore.
I can't wait to reread this in a year or so and see where we're at with some of this technology and software. Learning about cochlear implants was especially fascinating and started my brain down the route of what other senses we could heighten based off of what our brains can do and not what our sense organs can do.
I could write a long review of all the amazing things but really you should just read the book/post. It's incredible.
January 16, 2018
Tim Urban manages to make high-school biology interesting again. Cheers Tim.
December 10, 2017
Tim Urban's Neuralink and the Brain's Magical Future is an ebook about the brain and what the brain could become. While reading it, I remembered all the biology classes I took in high school. We read a lot about the brain but the brain still remained a mystery to everyone. After I finishing reading this ebook, I realised I still hadn't become any smarter. Therefore, I volunteer for the brain upgrade. Give me a call, Mr Musk.
September 1, 2020
A 6 hour-ish fascinating read about the future of brain machine interfaces(BMIs) in general, and Neurallink in particular.
The author usually tackles his topics in a tree inspired structure, so to understand the future of Neurallink he explained the trunk(the brain amd how it works), and made his way up to the other branches(current BMI applications, the challenges, the hurdles, and the possibilities) and ending up with the far future Neurallink dreams of and the end result.
The brain is that jello/pudding mix of material bouyed by a spinal fluid to protect itself from harm, and protected by several layers seperating it from the skull. The author goes into a detailed discussion of the three main parts of the brain(run by a frog part, limbic part, and cortex part). He ten talks about the 100 bilions of neurons, its main functions being action potential-ing, and neurotransmitting by means of dendrites and axons. That the axons are engulfed by sheaths of lyen material, accelerating the transfer of info was interesting to learn.
In a nutshell, the 20 billion neurons of the cortex( rational thinker) have this job of taking inputs from the 5 senses and outputting it through a central nervous system that extends to all parts of the bodies.
Having shaped our understanding of what the brain does, the author goes on explaining to us when BMIs began(since 1963!) and how we already have several BMIS in people with disabilities to restore their hearing loss( chochlea impants), cure their blindness, and treats diseases like parkinson's...
The author then talks about the current techs we use to identify the brain functions, and the main factors that measure their efficacy( resolution, invasiveness, and temporal accuracy).
Our current techs to understand the brain's function includes CT scans, FMRI, head wrapping electrode hat thingy, and other relatively invasive techs. The author draws this analogy of these techs being our instruments that peer into a stadium of audience watching a football match and tries to capture what every member of the audience is saying. These tech are only pointing to a kinda of commotion happening inside, and the best of them is picking up distorted sounds uttered by some of the members,but not knowing exactly what they're saying. As one neuroscientist puts it: if understanding the brain is one mile, we only walked 3 inches.
Now, we don't need to understand the brain completely to make our breakthrough in Bmis, the author argues, because that's a scientific problem. What's on our plate here is an engineering problem: we want to be able to stimulate particular neurons and ouputs their information onto a computer or to another brain. We need to do some revolution of the kind that integrated circuits brought. All we can impant into the brain currently is 500 electordes( not enough bandwidth) and the rate of progress is slow( should follows mores law). We need to have the necessary number of electrodes to manipulate one million neurons if we are to effect a revolutionary breakthough( or match an industry revolution as the author puts it).
Neurallink's short term goals is to cure people with disabilities that comes with old age like dementia, cancer lesions, paralysis...
Depending on regulatory approval and mass adoption, the long term goal is to merge with AI by creating a bmi device with high bandwidth in the brain(kinda like your phone, but the device is in your brain), and the AI becomes you. Elon calls this device a tertiary layer; you have your limbic layer, cortex layer, amd now this tertiary layer. You'd be able to communicate your uncompressed thoughts to other brains and computers directly without losses in translation. The author talks a lot about future applications and uses of this tertiary layer,to the point that your mind breaks. Imagine for example,this scenario where you could communicate your sensory inputs to some friend elsewhere in the world amd he'd be able to experience exactly what you're experiencing. At the end of the day, everything you experiemce is mere sensory infos circulating back n force in your brain, amd these info could be recorded so you get the point.
There are a lot of fears and hopes surronding the future of this tech, but the author tackles them one by one and convinces us by zooming in to the details then zooming out to the big picture, that the future of Neurallink is a net positive for the human colossus aka humanity.
I enjoyed this read immensely and my imagination ran wild thinking about the various different possibilities that the digital world 2.0, in which humans are symbiotes with AIs will bring with Neurallink's innovations coming to fruition.
The author usually tackles his topics in a tree inspired structure, so to understand the future of Neurallink he explained the trunk(the brain amd how it works), and made his way up to the other branches(current BMI applications, the challenges, the hurdles, and the possibilities) and ending up with the far future Neurallink dreams of and the end result.
The brain is that jello/pudding mix of material bouyed by a spinal fluid to protect itself from harm, and protected by several layers seperating it from the skull. The author goes into a detailed discussion of the three main parts of the brain(run by a frog part, limbic part, and cortex part). He ten talks about the 100 bilions of neurons, its main functions being action potential-ing, and neurotransmitting by means of dendrites and axons. That the axons are engulfed by sheaths of lyen material, accelerating the transfer of info was interesting to learn.
In a nutshell, the 20 billion neurons of the cortex( rational thinker) have this job of taking inputs from the 5 senses and outputting it through a central nervous system that extends to all parts of the bodies.
Having shaped our understanding of what the brain does, the author goes on explaining to us when BMIs began(since 1963!) and how we already have several BMIS in people with disabilities to restore their hearing loss( chochlea impants), cure their blindness, and treats diseases like parkinson's...
The author then talks about the current techs we use to identify the brain functions, and the main factors that measure their efficacy( resolution, invasiveness, and temporal accuracy).
Our current techs to understand the brain's function includes CT scans, FMRI, head wrapping electrode hat thingy, and other relatively invasive techs. The author draws this analogy of these techs being our instruments that peer into a stadium of audience watching a football match and tries to capture what every member of the audience is saying. These tech are only pointing to a kinda of commotion happening inside, and the best of them is picking up distorted sounds uttered by some of the members,but not knowing exactly what they're saying. As one neuroscientist puts it: if understanding the brain is one mile, we only walked 3 inches.
Now, we don't need to understand the brain completely to make our breakthrough in Bmis, the author argues, because that's a scientific problem. What's on our plate here is an engineering problem: we want to be able to stimulate particular neurons and ouputs their information onto a computer or to another brain. We need to do some revolution of the kind that integrated circuits brought. All we can impant into the brain currently is 500 electordes( not enough bandwidth) and the rate of progress is slow( should follows mores law). We need to have the necessary number of electrodes to manipulate one million neurons if we are to effect a revolutionary breakthough( or match an industry revolution as the author puts it).
Neurallink's short term goals is to cure people with disabilities that comes with old age like dementia, cancer lesions, paralysis...
Depending on regulatory approval and mass adoption, the long term goal is to merge with AI by creating a bmi device with high bandwidth in the brain(kinda like your phone, but the device is in your brain), and the AI becomes you. Elon calls this device a tertiary layer; you have your limbic layer, cortex layer, amd now this tertiary layer. You'd be able to communicate your uncompressed thoughts to other brains and computers directly without losses in translation. The author talks a lot about future applications and uses of this tertiary layer,to the point that your mind breaks. Imagine for example,this scenario where you could communicate your sensory inputs to some friend elsewhere in the world amd he'd be able to experience exactly what you're experiencing. At the end of the day, everything you experiemce is mere sensory infos circulating back n force in your brain, amd these info could be recorded so you get the point.
There are a lot of fears and hopes surronding the future of this tech, but the author tackles them one by one and convinces us by zooming in to the details then zooming out to the big picture, that the future of Neurallink is a net positive for the human colossus aka humanity.
I enjoyed this read immensely and my imagination ran wild thinking about the various different possibilities that the digital world 2.0, in which humans are symbiotes with AIs will bring with Neurallink's innovations coming to fruition.
December 25, 2017
Interesting notion. a bit too much bio... and I counted on my neurophysics class for the developed bmi instead of reading it through. I understand theres a process but so far it still seems more like a brain imaging thing instead of a wizard hat. I was hoping it can be something like a portable knowledge or like the question man from bat man..... anyway... I'll be patient.
so another layer on top of cortex, it's to invent another medium, language 3.0 or internet 2.0. but with the phone I think it's a lot easier to control mind with propaganda already, same with bmi. and I remember we can already shine light on mouse brain to simulate it to think they wanna do something, so I'm not sure it's as naive as the author stated.
so another layer on top of cortex, it's to invent another medium, language 3.0 or internet 2.0. but with the phone I think it's a lot easier to control mind with propaganda already, same with bmi. and I remember we can already shine light on mouse brain to simulate it to think they wanna do something, so I'm not sure it's as naive as the author stated.
May 9, 2017
Yet another amazing description of a concept that's far from easy to grasp. The story is never boring and prepares the reader for icky concepts in an excellent, easy to understand way. Did I mention it's both fun and funny on top of that? Superior chronology and writing style.
The only thing I'd wish for is an enhanced reference system, NOT a replacement: I LOVE the blue circles and grey squares, but for example a summary with all the links at the end. This would also make future searches for something in the post easier.
Thanks Tim and keep it up. Can't wait for the next one! :)
The only thing I'd wish for is an enhanced reference system, NOT a replacement: I LOVE the blue circles and grey squares, but for example a summary with all the links at the end. This would also make future searches for something in the post easier.
Thanks Tim and keep it up. Can't wait for the next one! :)
December 31, 2018
3 stars
This one doesn't quite have the magical property that so many of Urban's other articles do. Unlike, say, The AI Revolution, this one gets a bit bogged down in the weeds of biological and neurological explanation.
This isn't to say it's bad by any means—in fact, it's quite a bit better than so many other articles of this kind—but Urban's usual quality makes this one a bit disappointing.
This one doesn't quite have the magical property that so many of Urban's other articles do. Unlike, say, The AI Revolution, this one gets a bit bogged down in the weeds of biological and neurological explanation.
This isn't to say it's bad by any means—in fact, it's quite a bit better than so many other articles of this kind—but Urban's usual quality makes this one a bit disappointing.
December 14, 2018
Absolutely mind-blowing. You never really think about stuff like this unless you read the articles written about Elon Musk and his companies by this guy. The details of the article and the depth of his research really makes you wonder if we actually might be able to experience the things he writes about during our lifetimes and how crazy that would be. This and the articles about AI are a must-read. Take your time though.
June 23, 2017
Some of my favorite "books" lately are the blog posts by Tim Urban. This is what I would like my popular science reading to be like more often. High level, then moderately detailed, while linking all the details together and being entertaining the whole time. Now I *really* want a magic wizard hat - just don't sign me up for beta versions, or V1 for that matter.
January 11, 2018
Mind-blowing huge blog-article (>200 pages) about Elon Musk's latest save-the-world project Neuralink, a future brain-machine interface to (r)evolutionize the human colossus' brain - the next, tertiary, cerebral cortex layer on top of the grey matter - electrode-neuron-communication. LArgest barriers hitherto are: non-invasiveness, bandwidth and resolution.
January 21, 2018
Brilliantly written!
The concept being described in Tim's article is hard to describe the level of "cool" this is.
Upon reading this, the comprehension leaves one in a state of awe, that usually is reserved for natural beauty, say after climbing a gigantic mountain and taking in the view.
Looking forward to a future with this concept implemented.
The concept being described in Tim's article is hard to describe the level of "cool" this is.
Upon reading this, the comprehension leaves one in a state of awe, that usually is reserved for natural beauty, say after climbing a gigantic mountain and taking in the view.
Looking forward to a future with this concept implemented.
September 3, 2019
Whoa. I'm confused and enlightened at the same time.
This started off like an easy biology lesson and ended up in a not too distant sci-fi version of the world we live on.
So much to learn and understand in this article/book and so damn important. Great read.
I can't wait to see what's going to happen.
This started off like an easy biology lesson and ended up in a not too distant sci-fi version of the world we live on.
So much to learn and understand in this article/book and so damn important. Great read.
I can't wait to see what's going to happen.
October 29, 2017
The brain is super hard. Of all his writing I don’t think this one will age well because we don’t know what we don’t know yet with the brain. In some ways, we know more about space and how to get o mars than how our brain works.
November 17, 2017
Best ever article from Tim Urban!
February 10, 2018
Thrilling!
September 4, 2018
Mindblowing. He's Elon Musk.
December 30, 2018
Very interesting read on neuralinks.
March 24, 2019
Super interessant en weer heerlijk geillustreerd en verteld door Tim.
August 11, 2019
A thought provoking read on how this technology could potentially change humankind. Exploration of Musk's underlying motives for this pursuit are thorough and clarifying.
May 13, 2021
super cool
April 17, 2024
Really good described brain machine interface (BMI) consequences with a top-down approach (explaining the brain then explaining current neuralink status and Musk's vission).
May 17, 2020
Great book, totally recommend, very fresh thoughts on BMI's and humanity overall. However I am little bit disappointed that it barely touched safety problems. I love Elon ideas, but even after watching multiple videos, and reading mulitple books about it, I am still very concerned. This book did not answered questions I have about neurallink hacking safety.
September 15, 2019
This is an in-depth explanation of what Elon Musk's company Neuralink exists to accomplish. It starts with a quite long and informative overview of how the brain works and then goes into making the case for how Brain-Machine Interfaces will shape our future as a species, and why it's not as far fetched as it may sound.
June 8, 2020
Nice and all though the bit handwavy at existential risk is not so cool. Context: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4uwa...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews