I already know what you’re thinking after reading that headline: “What the hell is this story talking about? And what does Pong have to do with it?” In the field of neuroscience, there have been tremendous advancements in brain implant technology. Gamer Nathan Copeland was hurt in a car accident many years ago. The accident paralyzed Copeland, who cannot walk or move his fingers anymore.
Following the accident, Nathan participated in a research project that put installed a brain implant in him. Called a “Utah array”, a pair of wires are connected from a device to the socket on the top of his head. In April, Elon Musk’s company, Neuralink, revealed their brain chip in action. Instead of an external port and wires coming out like Nathan’s, their chip is located entirely within the skull of the being. Instead of a human, Neuralink implanted their chip in a monkey.
In April, Neuralink uploaded a video of that monkey playing Pong with just his mind. At first they had him play with a controller, and then removed it completely. About halfway through the video, you can see the little guy playing Pong entirely with his mind. Amazing stuff. Well, as soon as Nathan saw the video, he got super excited. “As soon as I saw it I said, ‘I wonder if I could beat that monkey,’” says Copeland.
Nathan has used his brain implant to play a number of video games, including Sonic the Hedgehog. He even has a Twitch where he hopes to gain a gigantic following. While Neuralink and Elon Musk have not yet commented on his challenge, that hasn’t stopped Nathan from training for this Pong tournament. This interspecies battle could break all sorts of Twitch viewing records.
The technology is certainly an exciting and scary feat. On one hand, you give paralyzed individuals the capability to access technology like computers and video games. On the other hand, it could be like X-Men, and well,, who knows what can happen as the technology advances? It’s certainly an exciting time to be alive and a gamer.
