Our second catalyst for human intellectual capital is none other than the BCI (Brain Computer Interface). Just to recap, the first was the connection between people.
Although genius may be a rare phenomenon, we are beginning to understand its neurobiology. Research into what might be called the “neurological basis of innovation” – creativity, learning, motivation, and the state of consciousness known as flow, has allowed us to expand these critical abilities like never before.
Consider this classic creative problem-solving test: the nine-dot problem. Connect nine dots with four lines in ten minutes without lifting your pencil from the paper. Under normal circumstances, fewer than 5% of the population can do it. In a study conducted at the University of Sydney, Australia, none of the test participants managed to solve it.
But then researchers took a second group of individuals and used transcranial direct stimulation to artificially replicate many of the neuroanatomical changes produced during flow. What happened? 40% solved the problem – a near-record result.
Neuralink (by Elon Musk) has made groundbreaking advances in BCI, and Braintree co-founder Bryan Johnson, who founded Kernel, are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in next-generation brain implants.
The goal of “neuroprosthetics” or “brain-computer interfaces” (BCIs), as Johnson explains, “is not about AI versus humans. It is about the fusion of the human brain with AI.”
Everyone agrees that the cyborg nation is still a long way off, but progress is moving faster than many suspect.
We already have BCIs that can help stroke victims regain control over paralyzed limbs and others that help quadriplegics use computers simply by thinking.
Memory is the final frontier. In 2017, USC neuroscientist Doug Song repurposed the neural seizure-control implants used by a group of epilepsy patients. By using them to stimulate the neural circuits involved in learning and retention, Song produced a 30% increase in memory function. In the short term, this means new treatments for Alzheimer's disease. In the long term, it is a brain upgrade for everyone.
Ray Kurzweil believes that by the early 2030s, the technology that will enable the “assembly” of full cyborgs will already be available. Ray has achieved an average success rate of 86% in his predictions.
Adapted from Peter Diamandis