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Elon Musk’s Neuralink received approval last week from the US Food and Drug Administration to conduct human clinical trials, which one former FDA official called “really a big deal.” I do not disagree, but I am skeptical that this technology will “change everything.” Not every profound technological advance has broad social and economic implications.

With Neuralink’s device, a robot surgically inserts a device into the brain that can then decode some brain activity and connect the brain signals to computers and other machines. A person paralyzed from the neck down, for example, could use the interface to manipulate her physical environment, as well as to write and communicate.

This would indeed be a breakthrough — for people with paralysis or traumatic brain injuries. For others, I am not so sure. For purposes of argument, as there are many companies working in this space, assume this technology works as advertised. Who exactly will want to use it?

One fear is that the brain-machine connections will be expensive and that only the wealthy will be able to afford them. These people will become a new class of “super-thinkers,” lording over us with their superior intellects.

I do not think that this scenario is likely. If I were offered $100 million for a permanent brain-computer connection, I would not accept it, if only because of fear of side effects and possible neurological damage. And I would want to know for sure that the nexus of control goes from me to the computer, not vice versa.

Besides, there are other ways of augmenting my intelligence with computers, most notably the recent AI innovations. It is true that I can think faster than I can speak or type, but — I’m just not in that much of a hurry. I would rather learn how to type on my phone as fast as a teenager does.

A related vision of direct brain-computer interface is that computers will be able to rapidly inject useful knowledge into our brains. Imagine going to bed, turning on your brain device, and waking up knowing Chinese. Sounds amazing — yet if that were possible, so would all sorts of other scenarios, not all of them benign, where a computer can alter or control our brains.

I also view this scenario as remote — unlike using your brain to manipulate objects, it seems true science fiction. Current technologies read brain signals but do not control them.

Another vision for this technology is that the owners of computers will want to “rent out” the powers of human brains, much the way companies rent out space today in the cloud. Software programs are not good at some skills, such as identifying unacceptable speech or images. In this scenario, the connected brains come largely from low-wage laborers, just as both social media companies and OpenAI have used low-wage labor in Kenya to grade the quality of output or to help make content decisions.

Those investments may be good for raising the wages of those people. Many observers may object, however, that a new and more insidious class distinction will have been created — between those who have to hook up to machines to make a living, and those who do not.

Might there be scenarios where higher-wage workers wish to be hooked up to the machine? Wouldn’t it be helpful for a spy or a corporate negotiator to receive computer intelligence in real-time while making decisions? Would professional sports allow such brain-computer interfaces? They might be useful in telling a baseball player when to swing and when not to.

The more I ponder these options, the more skeptical I become about large-scale uses of brain-computer interfaces for the non-disabled. Artificial intelligence has been progressing at an amazing pace, and it doesn’t require any intrusion into our bodies, much less our brains. There are always earplugs and some future version of Google Glass.

The main advantage of the direct brain-computer interface seems to be speed. But extreme speed is important in only a limited class of circumstances, many of them competitions and zero-sum endeavors, such as sports and games.

Of course, companies such as Neuralink may prove me wrong. But for the moment I am keeping my bets on artificial intelligence and large language models, which sit a comfortable few inches away from me as I write this. 

© 2023 Bloomberg LP

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Dark Dwarfs: New Star-Like Objects May Reveal Nature of Dark Matter

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July 9, 2025

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Dark Dwarfs: New Star-Like Objects May Reveal Nature of Dark Matter

Astronomers predict an unseen class of star-like bodies called “dark dwarfs” near our galaxy’s center. A new study suggests these objects could shine thanks to annihilating dark matter, not nuclear fusion. Dark matter makes up about a quarter of the universe and interacts via gravity. If WIMP-like dark matter particles collect in a brown dwarf, they would annihilate and heat it, causing a faint glow. Dark dwarfs would be too light to fuse hydrogen, but would keep lithium-7 in their atmospheres, offering a signature. This prediction comes from a JCAP study. The discovery of one could reveal dark matter’s nature.

Predicted Dark Dwarf Properties

According to the paper, sub-stellar objects just below the hydrogen-burning threshold would be powered by dark matter. The authors find that the minimum mass for hydrogen fusion shifts above ∼0.075 M⊙ in dense dark-matter environments, so lighter brown dwarfs instead become stable dark-matter–powered stars (‘dark dwarfs’) via WIMP annihilation inside them. They predict such objects only appear in regions with extremely high dark-matter density, like the Galactic center (ρ_DM ≳ 10^3 GeV/cm^3), because further out the halo is too tenuous. Crucially, dark dwarfs should retain lithium-7 in mass ranges where ordinary brown dwarfs burn it away, providing a clear observational signature.

Observational Prospects and Implications

Sakstein notes that powerful telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope might even already detect extremely cold objects like dark dwarfs near the galactic center. Alternatively, astronomers could survey brown dwarf populations for a rare sub-class with anomalous lithium content. Notably, even one confirmed dark dwarf would strongly favor heavy, self-annihilating dark matter.

Sakstein explains that finding dark dwarfs would provide “compelling evidence” for dark matter that is massive and interacts with itself – essentially WIMPs or similar particles. He notes that lighter candidates (like axions) would not produce such stars, so a dark dwarf discovery would disfavor those models. While not a proof of WIMPs, a dark dwarf detection would imply dark matter behaves like WIMPs (heavy and weakly interacting). Indeed, future surveys and JWST observations will also test these predictions.

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NASA Astronaut Captures Rare Red Sprite Over Storm from Space Station

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July 9, 2025

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NASA Astronaut Captures Rare Red Sprite Over Storm from Space Station

In early July 2025, NASA astronaut Nichole “Vapor” Ayers snapped a rare image of a giant red “sprite” phenomenon erupting above a thunderstorm, as she orbited 250 miles (400 km) above Earth. Sprites are brief, luminous columns caused by powerful lightning discharges far below. Ayers noted that having the ISS vantage makes for a “great view above the clouds” and helps scientists analyze these elusive events. This sprite appeared over storm clouds spanning Mexico and the southern U.S. on July 3, 2025. The sighting coincides with NASA’s Spritacular citizen-science project, which crowdsources photos of sprites and other upper-atmosphere flashes.

Rare ‘Sprite’ Phenomenon Explained

According to NASA, sprites are one of the “least understood” and most visually striking upper-atmosphere phenomena. They are brief columns of red light that flash high above thunderclouds, triggered by powerful lightning strikes. Data show sprites often form around 50 miles (80 km) altitude above Earth. These fleeting bursts take varied shapes – tendrils, plumes or towering columns of red light.

In Ayers’s photo, the sprite looks like an inverted scarlet umbrella extending into the sky. Each sprite flash lasts only a few milliseconds, so every image provides valuable data. Observations from orbit and the ground are steadily building a clearer picture of these mysterious storm-driven events. For example, NASA’s Juno mission even recorded sprite-like flares in Jupiter’s atmosphere, suggesting similar lightning processes on other worlds.

Crowdsourcing Sprites

To gather more data on sprites, NASA launched the Spritacular citizen-science project. Through Spritacular, volunteers with cameras can submit photos of upper-atmosphere flashes for research. The project’s website reports over 800 volunteers from 21 countries have uploaded about 360 sprite sightings since its 2022 launch. Each contribution helps scientists map where and how sprites occur. Ayers’s ISS photo adds a valuable perspective that complements citizen reports.

Space.com notes that multiple ISS crew members have begun photographing sprites from orbit, bolstering the data. Spritacular principal investigator Dr. Burcu Kosar says the project “will bridge the gap” between casual observers and researchers. NASA scientists say many questions about how and why sprites form “remain unanswered”, so more images could soon help decode the mystery.

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Progress 92 Spacecraft Docks at ISS with Vital Supplies for Expedition 73

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July 9, 2025

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Progress 92 Spacecraft Docks at ISS with Vital Supplies for Expedition 73

The progress of 92 spacecraft, which is unpiloted, reached the space-facing port of the Poisk of the orbiting laboratory at 2:55 a.m. IST on Sunday, July 5, 2025. At 5:25 p.m. EDT, Saturday, July 5, 2025, the spacecraft landed. The spacecraft launched a 1:02 a.m. IST on July 4, 2025, on a Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome. This spacecraft by Roscosmos is for providing tons of food, fuel and other supplies for the Expedition 73 crew on the International Space Station.

Six-Month Docking to Aid Research and Waste Management on ISS

As reported by NASA, it will be there on the dock for around six months before its departure and re-entry into the atmosphere of the Earth to dispose of the trash that the crew has loaded. This spacecraft includes a wide variety of essential items for astronomers. Apart from food and fuel, there are some equipment and spare parts also which are needed by the astronauts. Such items help the astronauts to perform their daily activities and conduct the planned experiments in space. It would be very difficult to maintain the life support and let the operations continue without any hampering.

Progress 92 Delivers Crucial Supplies to Support Expedition 73

Dr. Natalia Sergeyevna, the Roscosmos scientist, said in a statement that this successful docking portrays our strength in the continuous support to the ISS for the successful completion of Expedition 73. Every cargo mission is crucial and needs to ensure safety, health, and productivity. NASA praised the mission, calling the Progress Cargo deliveries a key part of keeping long-duration space missions going in a smooth manner.

Along with the everyday needs, the cargo also carried the materials for research related to health, plant growth, space materials and fluid dynamics. Scientists can better understand how living and working in space impacts their bodies and the milieu.

Progress 92 will stay docked at the ISS for about six months. After the work, the spacecraft will undock and make its re-entry into the atmosphere of the Earth and burn up safely. Cargo missions not just supply but also manage waste, keeping the ISS efficient and clean.

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Samsung May Upgrade AI-Powered Audio Eraser Feature in One UI 8 With Real-Time Editing Support

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