Paralyzed man tweets for the first time using his thoughts

Thanks to an implant, an Australian man suffering from a paralyzing condition becomes the first person to send a tweet using his mind.

Crazy! Right?

Well, here’s the science behind it.

In 2015, Philip O’Keefe was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a condition that affects the nerves cells in the brain and spinal cord. This condition affects causes muscle paralysis as well as a person’s ability to speak or swallow.

The condition affected his ability to complete otherwise independent activities like typing, holding objects for long and even eating.

How is someone with ALS able to send a tweet with their mind?

A neurotech company called Synchron has developed a brain-computer interface device (BCI) that allows the brain to communicate with computer systems to a certain level.

This device called the Strentrode is implanted via the bloodstream.

The Stentrode sends raw brain data via neural signals to an external receiver. A machine-learning algorithm then interprets these signals and translates them into a specific command (like sending a tweet).

The implantation allows O’Keefe to send emails and play computer games such as solitaire.

All he has to do is think about where on the computer he wants to click and the action is done.

Are BCI’s the future?

Synchron is set to begin human studies of the brain-computer interface in 2022.

Tesla CEO, Elon Musk has plans to also begin human trials of brain-machine interfaces to connect humans and computers.

This innovation is still in its early stages and more work has to be done with regards to the development and safety of the implant

Soon, you may be able to send tweets using your thoughts.