Published 17:21 IST, July 11th 2020
Elon Musk says Neuralink's capability to cure mental illness is 'great and terrifying'
Elon Musk also noted that it’s both ‘great & terrifying’ that his brain-computer chip startup Neuralink could help in curing mental illness such as depression.
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Stating Neuralink’s “top priority” to help with brain injuries, Elon Musk also noted that it’s both ‘great and terrifying’ that his brain-computer chip startup could help in curing mental illnesses including depression. While replying to an inquiry of a follower who asked if Neuralink can cure that part of the brain which causes addiction or depression, the Tesla CEO said on July 10 “for sure” but then acknowledged the dilemma that comes with it. Musk has also hinted that an entire progress report on American neurotechnology company founded in 2016 will be released on August 28.
The company aimed to develop ultra-high bandwidth brain-machine interfaces to connect humans and computers has prompted many curious questions by people across the world. In the same tweet, Elon Musk said that every emotion that an individual has felt in his or her entire life are just mere “electrical signals”.
For sure. This is both great & terrifying. Everything we’ve ever sensed or thought has been electrical signals. The early universe was just a soup of quarks & leptons. How did a very small piece of the Universe start to think of itself as sentient?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 10, 2020
Moreover, when another follower inquired about the human trials of Neuralink and how the company will come up with eligibility criteria for the same, Musk said there was “no easy way to answer” that question but the company remains focussed on healing injuries in the brain. In yet another interaction with a follower on Twitter, the Tesla CEO said “absolutely” and agreed to an internet user who wondered that Neuralink might enhance progress and help people reach their goals at a faster rate.
No easy way to answer this in a tweet, but helping with dire brain injuries is our first priority. Details Aug 28.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 10, 2020
Becomes seventh richest man
Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk just became the seventh richest man in the world over CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffet, as per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. SpaceX CEO’s wealth increased by $6 billion on July 10 followed by a huge surge in Tesla’s stock by 10.8 per cent reaching a record $1,544 per share. Now, the market value stood at $286.5 billion. Elon Musk currently owns at least 20.8 per cent of Tesla’s stock and thus, his stake is worth nearly $60 billion. Moreover, he is also the primary shareholder of SpaceX making his total net worth to be $70.4 billion.
Musk went up the Bloomberg list as Buffet’s fortune plunged this week after he decided to donate nearly $3 billion worth stock of his company to charity under his plan of giving away most of his wealth to philanthropic ventures. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos still holds the top position with the total net worth of $189 billion and according to international media reports, the Tesla CEO could eventually replace him based on the pay package that Tesla shareholders had approved two years ago. Other people ahead of Musk include Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Bernard Arnault, Steve Ballmer and Larry Page.
17:21 IST, July 11th 2020