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Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup Neuralink livestreamed on Wednesday its first patient implanted with a chip using his mind to play online chess.

Noland Arbaugh, the 29-year-old patient who was paralyzed below the shoulder after a diving accident, played chess on his laptop and moved the cursor using the Neuralink device. The implant seeks to enable people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using only their thoughts.

Arbaugh had received an implant from the company in January and could control a computer mouse using his thoughts, Musk said last month.

“The surgery was super easy,” Arbaugh said in the video streamed on Musk’s social media platform X, referring to the implant procedure. “I literally was released from the hospital a day later. I have no cognitive impairments.

“I had basically given up playing that game,” Arbaugh said, referring to the game Civilization VI, “you all (Neuralink) gave me the ability to do that again and played for 8 hours straight.”

Elaborating on his experience with the new technology, Arbaugh said that it is “not perfect” and they “have run into some issues.”

“I don’t want people to think that this is the end of the journey, there’s still a lot of work to be done, but it has already changed my life,” he added.

Kip Ludwig, former program director for neural engineering at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, said what Neuralink showed was not a “breakthrough.”

“It is still in the very early days post-implantation, and there is a lot of learning on both the Neuralink side and the subject’s side to maximize the amount of information for control that can be achieved,” he added.

Even so, Ludwig said it was a positive development for the patient that they have been able to interface with a computer in a way they were not able to before the implant. “It’s certainly a good starting point,” he said.

Last month, Reuters reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspectors found problems with record keeping and quality controls for animal experiments at Elon Musk’s Neuralink, less than a month after the startup said it was cleared to test its brain implants in humans. Neuralink did not respond then to questions about the FDA’s inspection.

© Thomson Reuters 2024

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Ancient Bronze Statues Unearthed from Etruscan Healing Spring in Italy

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December 20, 2024

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Ancient Bronze Statues Unearthed from Etruscan Healing Spring in Italy

Bronze statues, including depictions of snakes and a child priest, have been uncovered from a hot spring at San Casciano dei Bagni in Italy, according to the Italian Ministry of Culture, as per reports. The site, located around 120 kilometres northwest of Rome, has been excavated since 2019 and is believed to have been used for sacred rituals dating back to the third century B.C. The spring, originally used by the Etruscans and later adopted by the Romans, was a place where votive offerings were made in hopes of divine protection or healing, as per reports.

Discovery of Snake Statues and Other Artefacts

Bronze snake statues, some measuring up to 90 centimetres in length, were among the latest findings during the 2024 excavation, as reported by the excavation team. These statues were discovered in the deeper layers of the spring and are thought to have symbolised protection for the sacred waters. Other artefacts include a nude male figure inscribed with the name “Gaius Roscius” and a child priest holding a ball, which may have been used in divination rituals.

Preserved Organic Remains Found

The excavation also revealed well-preserved organic remains, such as eggs with visible yolks, pine cones, and plant matter. According to the Italian Ministry of Culture, in a statement, these items may have been used in rituals symbolising rebirth and regeneration. The preservation of these items is attributed to their rapid burial in sediment.

Expert Perspective

Alexandra Carpino, an art history professor at Northern Arizona University, commented in an email to Live Science that these findings are among the most significant discoveries of the 21st century. The range of artefacts provides insights into the role of healing sanctuaries in ancient societies.

Ongoing Research at the Site

Research continues at San Casciano dei Bagni, with scholars examining the inscriptions and artefacts to uncover more about the Etruscan and Roman use of the spring.

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Study Explores Sun’s Magnetic Field Changes and Solar Wind Acceleration

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Study Explores Sun’s Magnetic Field Changes and Solar Wind Acceleration

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December 20, 2024

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Study Explores Sun’s Magnetic Field Changes and Solar Wind Acceleration

In The Astrophysical Journal, a University of Michigan-led study detailed how the Sun’s magnetic field evolves as it moves through space, providing insights into solar wind acceleration. Using data from rare alignments of the Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter, researchers observed that the Sun’s magnetic field transitions from sharp oscillations to smoother waves, with the surrounding solar wind gaining velocity. This discovery could enhance predictions of space weather, which impacts Earth’s technology and infrastructure.

Observations from Aligned Solar Probes

As per reports, the study focused on magnetic switchbacks—sharp bends in the Sun’s magnetic field. These phenomena influence the solar wind, a stream of charged particles that can disrupt power grids, communication systems, and satellites. The Parker Solar Probe, stationed within 30 solar radii (Rs) of the Sun, and the Solar Orbiter, located further out at 130 Rs, provided comparative measurements of magnetic fields and plasma moments.

The findings revealed that magnetic switchbacks smooth out into microstreams with 30 percent fewer reversals as they move outward, while the surrounding proton velocity increased by 10 percent. Researchers attributed this to magnetic relaxation, where magnetic energy is converted into kinetic energy, accelerating the solar wind.

Insights for Space Weather Forecasting

According to Shirsh Soni, research fellow in climate and space sciences at the University of Michigan and corresponding author of the study, in a statement, this marks the first direct observation of switchback magnetic energy decreasing with distance. He stated in reports that the collaboration between the Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter has been crucial for understanding the Sun’s magnetic processes.

Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, associate research scientist at the University of Michigan, highlighted the broader implications, in his statement, noting that magnetic switchbacks reveal the Sun’s dynamic energy processes and their influence on the solar system. Researchers aim to investigate whether magnetic energy transfers also generate heat, potentially solving mysteries about the solar wind’s heating.

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FAST Telescope Detects New Pulsar PSR J1922+37 in Open Cluster NGC 6791

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December 20, 2024

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FAST Telescope Detects New Pulsar PSR J1922+37 in Open Cluster NGC 6791

A new pulsar, PSR J1922+37, has been discovered with a spin period of 1.92 seconds using the Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) in China, according to a report. The finding was made in the direction of the open cluster NGC 6791. If confirmed as a member of this cluster, it would be the first pulsar identified in an open cluster, a breakthrough in pulsar and stellar cluster research, according to sources.

Key Details of PSR J1922+37

The finding was reported in a paper published Dec. 11 on the arXiv preprint server. As per reports, the pulsar PSR J1922+37 has been observed with a dispersion measure of 85 pc/cm³ and a flux density of approximately 7.0 µJy. Its position aligns closely with the location of NGC 6791, with an offset of 14 arcminutes from the cluster’s centre. The estimated distance of the pulsar, 15,600 light-years, is consistent with the cluster’s distance range, which is calculated to be between 13,100 and 16,000 light-years.

According to the study, led by Xiao-Jin Liu of Beijing Normal University, the dense stellar environment of NGC 6791 increases the likelihood of pulsars being present within the cluster. Researchers have suggested that precise measurements of PSR J1922+37’s distance and proper motion will be necessary to confirm its association with NGC 6791.

Potential for Further Discoveries

The researchers indicated that NGC 6791’s compact and high surface brightness environment could host additional pulsars. An estimate provided in the study predicts that as many as nine pulsars may exist within this cluster. The team noted that further observations using advanced techniques could help verify these predictions.

The report further highlights that the discovery has been described as a significant development in the understanding of pulsars within open clusters, an area of study previously limited due to low stellar density in such regions. Verification of PSR J1922+37’s cluster membership will require additional studies, including proper motion analysis to establish a definitive connection.

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