Can the human brain really be connected to a machine? How far can brain-computer interfaces go?

Brain-computer interface, these four words are no longer new terms, because in the past few years, each of us has heard them countless times from various channels, as if human-computer integration will soon become a reality.

So can the human brain really be connected to a machine? What exactly is a brain-computer interface, and can those miraculous functions really be realized in the end? When it comes to brain-computer interfaces, we immediately think of future warriors with iron bodies, or that as long as we plug a wire into the brain, all the knowledge we need can be transferred to the brain, saving us the pain of learning. Yes, these functions are indeed the development direction of brain-computer interfaces, but the current brain-computer interfaces are still a long way from this step. In fact, it is still a low profile to say that they are a long way from this step. In fact, it is impossible to judge whether these functions can be realized in the end.

There are generally two forms of brain-computer interfaces: invasive and non-invasive.

Non-invasive brain-computer interfaces are more easily accepted by people. Strictly speaking, this cannot be considered an interface at all. It is actually a helmet, but this helmet is not made of steel, but woven from a large number of signal collectors. When our brain is active, neurons emit electromagnetic waves, and this signal acquisition helmet can capture these signals and then transmit them to the corresponding equipment for analysis. Through such a signal acquisition helmet, we can achieve the goal of controlling external devices with our thoughts. However, this non-invasive brain-computer interface has great limitations. The signals it receives are very weak and not accurate enough, and it is destined to be unable to perfectly achieve human-computer integration.

If we want to achieve true human-machine integration, we must rely on invasive brain-computer interfaces, and the most representative one is Elon Musk's Neuralink.

In fact, most people know about brain-computer interfaces from Elon Musk, but in fact, he is not the only company that produces and develops brain-computer interfaces. Invasive, as the name suggests, is to put the brain-computer interface into the brain. To be more specific, it is to insert the probe that can receive signals directly into the gray matter of the brain through craniotomy, so that it can directly receive the brain's neuronal electrical signals. This method sounds unacceptable, and it is not only difficult for us to accept it psychologically, but also for our bodies. A foreign body inserted into the brain will inevitably trigger an immune response.

Elon Musk has his own solution to this problem, which is to make the probe inserted into the brain as thin as possible.

Neuralink uses an extremely thin and soft electrode wire. How thin is it? It is only about one twentieth of the thickness of an ordinary person's hair. In addition, because it is extremely soft, it can swing with the activity of the brain, which minimizes damage to the brain and the immune response. Having said that, after all, craniotomy is still quite repulsive to everyone, and the thin wire must be inserted to avoid all blood vessels in the brain. For this reason, Elon Musk has also developed a craniotomy machine specifically for the implantation of electrode wires. So if you really muster up the courage to equip yourself with this brain-computer interface, how strong can you become?

The answer may disappoint you. At this stage, even if a brain-computer interface is installed, it can only command the machine to complete simple grasping functions, and this requires repeated training.

Interestingly, monkeys equipped with brain-computer interfaces are faster and more accurate than humans when practicing grasping objects. Why is this so? In fact, this is not a problem with Elon Musk and brain-computer interfaces. There are as many as 8.6 billion neurons in our brains, and these neurons are connected by synapses. The number of these connections is probably not enough to be calculated in hundreds of billions. As for how many there are, we really don’t know, because humans’ cognition of the brain and nerves is actually very limited. Now you understand, because monkeys’ brains are simpler than humans, brain-computer interfaces are easier to capture and distinguish monkeys’ brain signals, so it is easier for monkeys to operate external machinery through brain-computer interfaces than humans.

Now do you understand why the future of brain-computer interfaces is an unknown?

The birth and development of any thing must go through three stages. First, theoretical scientists must come up with theoretical research results, then experimental scientists can conduct experimental research based on the theory, and finally scientific and technological personnel can transform the experimental research results into products. Brain-computer interface is essentially a scientific and technological product. If there is no progress in theoretical science and experimental science, it is impossible for brain-computer interface to continue to make technological breakthroughs. In other words, how far brain-computer interface can go in the future depends on whether there can be breakthroughs in human cognition of the brain and nerves. Therefore, whether human-computer integration can be achieved is not determined by brain-computer interface, but by basic science.

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