florduh
Well-Known Member
I actually approve of research to help people with brain disabilities with a brain implant. Using monkeys and other animals is how scientists do this research before it becomes ok to implant devices in humans. There are people who volunteered to test these devices on themselves but it's unethical to test on humans first.
Like making sausage the details can be uncomfortable but I think the goal is worth it.
I think Brain Computer Interfaces will one day be very useful to people with disabilities. But I sure don't trust a guy like Musk anywhere near the project. Also if this is what it's doing to our closest animal relatives, I'd say the tech is nowhere near ready for prime time.
Neuralink chips were implanted by drilling holes into the monkeys’ skulls. One primate developed a bloody skin infection and had to be euthanized. Another was discovered missing fingers and toes, “possibly from self-mutilation or some other unspecified trauma,” and had to be put down. A third began uncontrollably vomiting shortly after surgery, and days later “appeared to collapse from exhaustion/fatigue.” An autopsy revealed the animal suffered from a brain hemorrhage.
They can't even keep half of the monkeys alive, let alone get the thing to work. To me, this looks less like legitimate medical research and more like indulging the fantasies of an asshole by torturing our fellow primates to death.