55 years, 3 months ago

The Quest for Injectable Brain Implants Has Begun

Our world is populated by hundreds of thousands of cyborgs. Some are Parkinson’s patients, who can shut off their tremors by activating metal electrodes implanted deep within their brains. There’s no good way to get a flexible electrode deep into the brain, and even when placed at the brain’s surface, such electrodes may not function well over long time periods. The process isn’t unlike pouring molten metal into a mold, except that the gel is apparently harmless, and the electrode, once it forms, is just as soft and movable as the brain tissue around it. And the electrodes seem safe: The zebra fish swam around happily after having the substance pumped into their heads, and when the scientists killed the fish and sliced up their brains, they didn’t see any scarring.

Wired

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