An investigation by Wired reveals the grisly complications of Neuralink brain implants in monkeys, including brain swelling and paralysis.

  • Andy
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    9 months ago

    Maybe it’s just because I have a deep-seated terror of brain surgery, but this all sounded absolutely terrifying to me.

    I also hate, hate, HATE that Musk said that the monkeys were all ill. Not only is this 100% bullshit – this would completely invalidate the data – but it also indicates that like most things, he has a 13 year old’s understanding of life. He thinks that something that is sick has no right to safety, because, like, they’re already on borrowed time or something, right? I’m certain that to him, the stakes of these tests are lower because it’s not like, healthy full people like him who will eventually use these to get cybernetic super powers. These are humans with disabilities. They’re expendable test subjects. They’re lucky to get even a chance at improvement. Plus, serving as guinea pigs gives them a chance to be useful to the great Elon Musk’s ambitious. Absent that they’re just a waste of food to him.

    • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Well yeah, eugenics is back and us disabled folks are terrified.

      If my life wasn’t worth living I’d’ve killed myself. I don’t want some loser ass tech bro who can’t even be bothered to raise his children to try to declare himself the authority on whether or not I live/reproduce.

      • kewjo@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        volunteers on false promises will become victims. let Elon get it first if he really believes in it, just like the ocean gate CEO believed in his submarine.

      • TheSaus@lemmy.ml
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        9 months ago

        Nobody said they were forcing disabled people to undergo his experiments, where did you get that from?

      • Andy
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        9 months ago

        For context, I work in biotech. I’ve worked with animal subjects and human volunteers, and participated in the internal review process. I’m grateful for the guiderails that protect human subjects, and hope they hold up. Because as your comment points out, humans with disabilities are in a very vulnerable position. If experimentalists lack concern and patient consent is their only protection, human subjects will have no guarantees say all that the procedures are safe. These expert reviewers and regulators you mention are the only reason this article is about monkeys and not first round human subjects.