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Brain Computer Interfaces - Digital Telekinesis

Reuben Jacobs earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science and biology from Northeastern University. Graduating in 2011, he’s since worked in the tech industry as a quality assurance tester and software engineer. Reuben Jacobs is intrigued by the merger of biology and technology, and nowhere do these two sciences meet quite like they do in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs).

A brain-computer interface enables a person to control a computer or other machine using only the brain, almost like a form of digital telekinesis. The technology came to fruition in the 1990s, when neurologist Phil Kennedy successfully connected a paralyzed patient to a computer via wire electrodes implanted in the brain. After the implant, the patient could control the computer’s cursor using nothing but his thoughts. Kennedy dubbed him “the world’s first cyborg.” BCIs have come a long way since the late 90s, and now they’re used for more than just controlling a cursor, as if that isn’t amazing enough.

Many different fields use BCIs both in medical applications and in the military. DARPA runs multiple programs aimed at improving and restoring the brain’s ability to create and store memories. In the medical field, applications range from restoring sight and hearing loss to returning mobility to paralyzed patients.