Latest news with #monkey
Japan Times
16-06-2025
- Science
- Japan Times
Neuralink device helps monkey see something that's not there
Elon Musk's Neuralink used a brain implant to enable a monkey to see something that wasn't physically there, according to an engineer, as it moves toward its goal of helping blind people see. The device, called Blindsight, stimulated areas of a monkey's brain associated with vision, Neuralink engineer Joseph O'Doherty said Friday at a conference. At least two-thirds of the time, the monkey moved its eyes toward something researchers were trying to trick the brain into visualizing. The results were the first Neuralink has publicized about tests of Blindsight, a brain chip that mimics the function of an eye. This is a closely watched frontier for brain device development, a scientific field that's testing the boundaries of how technology can be used to potentially treat intractable conditions. As with all animal studies, it's an open question how the results would apply to humans. The device isn't approved for human use in the US. The short-term goal of Blindsight is to help people see, and the long-term goal is to facilitate superhuman vision — like in infrared — Musk has said. The company has been testing Blindsight in monkeys for the past few years and is hoping to test it in a human this year, the billionaire said in March. On the sidelines of the conference, O'Doherty declined to comment further about Neuralink's work. Neuralink is also implanting devices in people who are paralyzed that allow them to communicate directly with computers, one of several companies in the growing technological field. Five people have received Neuralink implants so far, Musk has said. Three were implanted in 2024 and two in 2025, according to O'Doherty's presentation at the Neural Interfaces conference. In some cases, patients are using their Neuralink device for about 60 hours a week. In the future, brain devices using similar technology could allow paralyzed people to move or walk, Musk has said. O'Doherty co-authored a poster with academic researchers, which was presented at the conference, describing an experiment that used the Neuralink implant to stimulate the spinal cord of a monkey, causing its muscles to move. Other researchers have been working on spinal cord stimulation to restore muscle movement for several years. Musk's medical aspirations are a stepping stone toward the goal of increasing the speed of human communication for everyone, allowing people to "mitigate the risk of digital super-intelligence,' Musk said in 2024. He's also building artificial intelligence through his company xAI. Eventually, the company wants the Blindsight system to include a pair of glasses to help make the chip work, O'Doherty said in his talk. Testing in monkeys has advantages. The visual cortex in a monkey is closer to the surface of the brain than in a human, making it easier to access, O'Doherty said in the presentation. Neuralink could use its surgical robot to insert its implant into the deeper regions in a person's brain, he added.
Bloomberg
13-06-2025
- Science
- Bloomberg
Neuralink Device Helps Monkey to See Something That's Not There
Elon Musk's Neuralink Corp. used a brain implant to enable a monkey to see something that wasn't physically there, according to an engineer, as it moves toward its goal of helping blind people see. The device, called Blindsight, stimulated areas of a monkey's brain associated with vision, Neuralink engineer Joseph O'Doherty said Friday at a conference. At least two-thirds of the time, the monkey moved its eyes toward something researchers were trying to trick the brain into visualizing.
Free Malaysia Today
30-05-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Haul man who spray-painted monkey to court, Perhilitan urged
A viral video of the incident showed a man spraying what appeared to be paint onto a monkey. PETALING JAYA : An animal rights lawyer has urged the wildlife and national parks department (Perhilitan) to swiftly charge the suspect who had allegedly spray-painted a monkey. Rajesh Nagarajan said the perpetrator should pay for his actions as the monkey, which appeared to be completely covered in blue paint in a viral video of the incident, may not be able to survive upon its release. 'The monkey would not be accepted by its pack anymore. If the monkey is a juvenile, it would not even be accepted by its mother, which means it's going to die upon release. 'The authorities need to take this issue seriously and charge the individual over his actions because it is a terrible crime,' he told FMT. Rajesh, who leads the environmental NGO Peka, also said the paint used may be toxic, which would cause immense pain to the monkey and potentially even lead to its death. A one-minute video of the incident showed a man spraying what appeared to be paint onto a monkey. Perhilitan later arrested the suspect on May 24 to be investigated for animal cruelty, which is punishable by a RM5,000 to RM50,000 fine, up to a year in jail, or both, upon conviction. But there have been no updates on the case since the suspect was released on police bail the same day. Rajesh also expressed frustration over his failed attempts to request for information on the case from Perhilitan. 'I called Perhilitan several times before I finally got in touch with the investigating officer yesterday. But when I asked for an update, the officer told me to write to the director,' he said. He urged Perhilitan to be transparent about its investigation and to provide timely updates, citing public concern in the case following the viral video. 'We want to know where the monkey is. Has the monkey been given medical treatment? What's going on now?' he said, also urging the Animal Welfare Board to speak out on the incident.
Free Malaysia Today
24-05-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
Man arrested for spray painting monkey blue
Screenshots of the man spray painting the caged monkey. PETALING JAYA : A man who spray painted a monkey in Shah Alam has been detained for suspected animal cruelty. Sungai Buloh police chief Hafiz Nor said the man was arrested by the wildlife and national parks department (Perhilitan) and later brought to a police station. He said the arrest was made under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, but no further details of the suspect were provided. Section 86 of the Act criminalises animal cruelty, and those convicted may be fined between RM5,000 and RM50,000, or jailed for up to one year, or both. 'We would like to advise the public against torturing animals as it is an offence,' he said in a statement. A one-minute video of the incident, which made the rounds on social media, shows a man spraying what appears to be blue paint on the caged monkey. The incident is believed to have taken place at Taman Desa Moccis U17 in Shah Alam.
