Introduction
Telekinesis, the ability to move objects with the power of the mind, has long been a subject of fascination in science fiction movies. From the popular X-Men series, which features characters with telekinetic powers, to the blockbuster hit Lucy, which portrays a woman who gains telekinetic abilities after unlocking the full potential of her brain, the idea of using the power of the mind to manipulate objects has captured the imagination of audiences around the world.
But what if telekinesis wasn’t just a fictional concept, but something that could actually be achieved through biotech? With the rapid development of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), it will soon be normal for individuals to control objects with their thoughts alone. Telekinesis is real.
Everything you’re aware of is just an electrical signal
As Elon Musk puts it, “We are literally a brain in a vat, where the vat is your skull.” Our brains’ are made up of billions of interconnected neurons which communicate via electrical highways. The network created by these neurons is responsible for absolutely everything we are conscious of, including you right now being aware of and processing this article.
Our brain is like a supercomputer that constantly receives input from our senses – what we see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. It then makes sense of all that information and decides how we should react, ultimately making us who we are.
Everyone’s network of neurons is constantly shaped by their previous experiences, which is why we have different personalities. We call this being conscious, but on a scientific level this can be somewhat quantified to which neurons are firing and to where are they firing .
Telekinesis requires you to be a cyborg
BCIs quite literally read your thoughts and translate them into commands for a computer. These devices can be made to directly interface with the brain via an implanted chip and microelectrode array, or if you want less cyborg action, they can be made into crown-like devices using imaging tech to read your brain through your skull.
Sadly, the non invasive option won’t work for telekinesis. Due to the obvious pullbacks of invasive BCI tech, there must be a good reason biotech innovators still choose to pursue this interface method. Think of comparing the different BCI methods to two TVs.
The invasive BCI is like having a 20in 4K ultra-HD screen that runs super fast, whereas the non invasive BCI is like having a massive 80in TV that’s in 680p and super slow. The invasive BCI offers far greater spatial and temporal resolution, but can only interface with a small portion of the brain.
How a chip in your brain captures your thoughts
Common implantable BCI devices today include a microelectrode array which is strategically placed to sense the activity of targeted neurons. For example, an array of electrodes could be placed on a patient’s motor cortex. When the patient performs a certain action, certain neurons will fire, and this activation pattern mostly stays the same.
These electrodes are usually thinner than the average human hair and coated with a biomaterial because the brain is an extremely sensitive organ. The sensor data from the electrodes is then wirelessly sent to an external device, or with more crude methods via a cable plugged into the skull.
So everything we are conscious of is just a collection of electrical signals in our brains. BCIs can sense and capture this electrical activity, but how do they know what the electrical signals mean?
A computer doesn’t necessarily know what the activity means, but it can be told to execute a certain command when a specific neural activation pattern is recorded. This requires algorithms that need to be able to differentiate between different types of movement. For example, a computer would need to distinguish between pushing an object, moving an object, and the thought of doing anything to the object at all. This task is much easier said than done.
Telekinesis is a game of matching
The computer will first recognize the activation of neurons corresponding to individual muscles. Then, it groups certain muscle groups firing together into categories such as, “right arm upward.”
Finally, it will group these larger categories together. For example, the neural activation for “right arm upward” and “right hand side to side” come together to a motion we would call waving. Scientists then label these activation patterns with their respective movement.
Every pattern, for every movement, is different for everyone which is why computer scientists have employed artificial intelligence to learn the pattern. These algorithms learn by recording neural activity while the patient repeatedly performs the same movement. The data is processed by AI algorithms to decode the neural patterns and identify the pattern consistent with the specific movement.
Once a computer has gathered a set of labeled neural activation patterns, it can record the brain live and see if a matching activation pattern appears. If a pattern-match is recorded live, then a certain command for a device can be executed. Hence, the possibility of telekinesis, manipulating objects with thoughts alone.
Biotech businesses working on this technology today
Neuralink, a company founded by Elon Musk, is doing some pretty amazing work in the field of brain-computer interfaces. They’ve created the N-1 chip, an implantable device that aims to enhance human cognition by directly connecting to a small part of the brain’s neurons. The device is about the size of a quarter and has thin, hair-like threads that extend about 1mm into the brain.
It sits flush with the skull, making it almost impossible to detect. One of the most unique features of the N-1 chip is that it is designed to be implanted by a robot. Neuralink has created a robot that allows surgeons to select the perfect spot for electrode insertion based on a live video feed of the brain. The robot can implant electrodes with incredible precision and accuracy.
Below is a video released by Neuralink of Pager, a monkey, playing pong with his thoughts alone.
Synchron is a startup based in Brooklyn, New York. They have recently been granted permission to advance to human trials with their newest product, the stentrode. The stentrode is device that looks exactly like the stents that relieve blockages in arteries, however the stentrode is designed to sit in the center artery at the crest of your skull.
From here, it can access many important neurons with its mesh of electrodes. These electrodes differ from Neuralink’s as they aren’t hairlike. The stentrode can capture the electrical data from inside the artery, whereas the N-1 chip isn’t geographically constrained in the same way.
Why is a robot surgeon needed for Neuralink’s N-1 chip?
A robot is necessary because the electrode threads are so thin, and it’s crucial to avoid puncturing the brain’s vasculature, otherwise it could lead to a stroke. By interfacing with the motor cortex, a device can understand what the whole body is doing from one central location.
For this high level of spatial resolution, the threads must be placed with high accuracy, otherwise the scientists would be misled as to which neurons they were recording from. This is the primary reason that the robot surgeon was developed.
As always, AI algorithms have made their way into this feat of engineering as well. The robot uses software powered by AI to display a live recording of the brain, emphasizing the vasculature to avoid.
How BCIs can be a neural bridge, reversing paralysis
Telekinesis is awesome, but what are some more practical applications of these revolutionary devices? The most promising application of BCI tech right now is to restore control over one’s body. Thousands of vehicle accidents happen every day just in America, many of them resulting in paralysis for the patients.
Often times a paralyzed patient’s brain is completely functional, but the outgoing signal doesn’t reach its destination due to spinal trauma. Think of your spine as a wire between your brain and the muscle that your brain wants to control. If trauma breaks the wire, then all we have to do is reconnect the brain to the muscle.
This circuit reconnection is exactly what BCI devices will approach first in human trials. One device could interface with your motor cortex and then a receiving device would output these signals to the muscle directly, via the nerves projecting from your spine.
Human and AI symbiosis, or us humans will be left behind?
Elon Musk, a thought leader in the AI industry, believes that AI is advancing at a far greater rate than humans. Eventually it will catch up, leaving humans behind. The solution he proposes is to create a symbiotic relationship with AI. This could be done by integrating AI features that would write directly into your brain via a BCI.
If you think about it, we’re already cyborgs.
When we don’t have our phones we’re frantically running around searching for it; its like we lost a limb. These experiences are only more prevalent among the younger generations. This is because phones have allowed the power of fast computation and information to be in the back pocket of most people.
We have become reliant on AI, as it offers incredible applications that improve our lives. The very act of you finding this article was a result of AI, as google algorithms search to find the most applicable content to your search query.
No, we don’t know certain facts off the top of our heads, but we know we can just search it on Google. Imagine if you could just think about a question, and a BCI would write the answer to your language processing center. Essentially, BCIs seek to increase the bandwidth at which we interact with powerful tools like Google and computers. Instead of using thumbs to search and reading with our eyes, our thought-questions would be input into a BCI, and the device would output an answer to our brains. The time it takes to interact with google via a phone would be far slower than interacting with google via a BCI.
Will BCI tech enable one to brainwash you without you knowing?
Yes, once BCIs include enough electrodes to read and write to the majority of the brains neurons, someone could control everything that you believe to be real, your entire reality. Remember, everything you’re aware of is due to the network of electrical signals in your brain. If someone were to have control over your implanted BCI, they could theoretically create a reality for you to live in.
BCI tech doesn’t stop at creating a real life matrix, it also allows for absolute control of an individual. By writing to, or stimulating, certain neurons, someone could control your very actions. I honestly don’t know if you would even understand the fact that you were being controlled. That is purely uncharted territory, warranting a list of ethical concerns.
Telekinesis is an interdisciplinary challenge
Biomedical, mechanical, and electrical engineers have come together to develop the hardware, bringing the device into reality. Material scientists have ensured biocompatibility, and neuroscientists are mapping the brain’s neurons daily. Computer scientists specializing in machine learning have spent countless hours developing the algorithms that allow these devices to decode the human electrical language.
Conclusion
Telekinesis may seem like something out of a science fiction movie, but with the recent advancements in brain computer interfaces, it has become a real possibility. By using these interfaces, we can pick up on our brain’s intentions and control robotic arms or other devices.
This means that we can manipulate objects with just the power of our minds. Of course, there are still challenges to overcome and many ethical concerns, but the potential benefits make it an exciting area of innovation worth exploring further.
