(The forthcoming book: From the Principal’s Desk – A Journey of Lessons)
By Dr. Arun Prakash
In one of our recent articles, “The Dawn of Human-Computer Integration,” we peeked into a world that once existed only in science fiction—a world where the human brain could talk directly to machines. That article introduced the idea of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), tiny devices that can be implanted in the brain to help people do things they otherwise couldn’t—like move, speak, or see again.
Many of you wrote back with a sense of wonder, questions, and even concern. Can this really be possible? Is this safe? Could my child one day learn using such a chip?
Today, I write to take that story forward—with real stories, real people, and real progress.
Let’s Begin Again: What is Neuralink?
Neuralink is a company founded by Elon Musk—the same man behind Tesla and SpaceX. While his cars run on batteries and rockets fly to space, Neuralink works on something even more extraordinary: the human brain.
The company is developing a brain chip—about the size of a coin—that can be surgically implanted into a person’s skull. This chip has fine threads, thinner than a human hair, which are inserted into specific areas of the brain. These threads can read the brain’s signals (your thoughts) and send them to a computer. The goal? To help people who have lost the ability to move or speak due to injury or disease.
Now, that might sound technical, but imagine this: a person who cannot move a finger can move a mouse pointer on a screen, just by thinking. A person who cannot speak can form words on a screen without saying them out loud.
Yes, this is happening now—not in the distant future.
Meet Noland: The Man Who Played Chess With His Mind
In January 2024, Neuralink made headlines. A young man named Noland Arbaugh, who had been paralyzed from the shoulders down after a swimming accident, became the first person to receive the Neuralink brain chip.
He could not move, not even lift a spoon. But after the surgery, he surprised everyone. He sat with a laptop. No mouse. No keyboard. And yet… the cursor moved.
He smiled, and then he played chess. Just by thinking.
He clicked, dragged, typed—all using his mind. In videos shared online, we could see his joy. Not because he could now play video games again, but because he was finally in control—something he hadn’t felt in years.
This wasn’t magic. It was science and surgery, yes, but also hope—and the first real proof that this technology works.
Alex’s Turn: Designing With Thoughts
The second person to receive the chip was Alex, another individual with a spinal injury. With improved techniques and learning from Noland’s case, Alex’s surgery had fewer complications. He didn’t just move the cursor—he designed 3D models, played strategy games, and even helped test new features.
Unlike Noland’s implant, some of whose threads had retracted (meaning the brain shifted slightly after surgery), Alex’s stayed in place. Neuralink had learned from the first case and made improvements. And Alex became a part of the development team—not just a patient.
Imagine: someone who couldn’t move was now designing with thoughts.
Brad’s Battle with Silence—and Victory
And then came Brad Smith, a name that might be remembered in future textbooks.
Brad has ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)—a disease that slowly locks a person in their own body. The muscles stop working. Speech becomes a whisper and then silence. But the mind stays sharp.
Brad received the implant recently. And guess what?
He edited a video. He typed a message. He communicated with the world—again, using only his thoughts.
Even more remarkable, the voice in the video was his own—recreated using artificial intelligence from past recordings.
Can you imagine the joy in his family’s heart? Their son, brother, friend—once unable to speak—was now writing, creating, and laughing through a computer screen. All because a tiny chip in his brain listened, understood, and translated thought into action.
But That’s Not All—What Else is Coming?
Neuralink has now received FDA Breakthrough Designation (that means the U.S. government is fast-tracking its approval process) for two other bold projects:
1. Giving Voice to the Voiceless
They are now testing ways to help people who can’t speak—because of stroke, injury, or illness—form sentences with their thoughts.
The chip would read the brain signals meant for speech (yes, even if the person can’t speak) and turn them into text or voice. One day, someone who has never spoken a word in their life might finally say “I love you”—with help from technology.
2. Seeing Without Eyes: The “Blindsight” Project
Another bold idea: helping blind people see.
Now, how can someone who’s lost their eyesight “see” again? Isn’t that impossible?
Here’s how it might work: the brain receives images from the eyes. But what if the eyes are damaged? Neuralink’s idea is to send signals directly to the brain’s “vision center”—the visual cortex—bypassing the eyes entirely.
If this works, it could mean even someone born blind might one day perceive shapes, light, or even images. It’s like building a second pair of eyes—inside the brain.
What Does All This Mean For Us—Parents, Teachers, Students?
Now, you might be wondering: all this sounds amazing—but is it safe? Is it ethical? Should we even be doing this?
These are important questions.
Yes, there are risks. Brain surgery is delicate. Privacy is a concern. If thoughts can be read, can they also be hacked? These are not science fiction fears—they are real. And we must teach our children to ask these questions, too.
But let’s also talk about what this means for education.
Children of today will grow into a world where a friend might have a chip helping them move. A classmate may write essays with the help of a neural device. They may work in jobs that don’t even exist yet—like “brain interface designer” or “neuro-ethics counselor.”
As educators and parents, we must prepare them not just for what they know today, but for a world of rapid change. A world where thought might be more powerful than speech or movement.
Let’s nurture curiosity, resilience, and compassion. Let’s remind our children that technology is a tool—not a replacement for humanity.
A Final Thought
We began with a dream—that the brain could one day speak directly to machines. That dream has now found three faces: Noland, Alex, and Brad.
These stories are not the end—they are the beginning.
So the next time your child asks, “Can we really control a computer with our mind?”—you can smile and say, “Yes. And people already are.”
Let us walk into this future, hand in hand, thought by thought—with wisdom, wonder, and courage.