Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman EP127 "What happens when we marry brains to machines?" with Sergey Stavisky
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Oct 27, 2025 In this discussion, neuroscientist Sergey Stavisky, co-director of the UC Davis Neuroprosthetics Lab, explores groundbreaking brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). He explains how paralyzed individuals can control robotic arms and regain speech through brain signals. The conversation dives into ethical concerns surrounding privacy and data ownership, as well as future possibilities of reading covert thoughts. Stavisky also shares insights on the engineering challenges and advancements, predicting that BCIs for communication may become a reality in just five years.
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BCIs Restore Intention-to-Action
- Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) bypass damaged motor pathways by decoding neural intention directly from cortex.
- This creates a communication channel from intention to devices, restoring function for those who cannot use muscles.
From Proofs To Practical Devices
- Building useful BCIs requires solving engineering gaps between lab proofs and daily-life devices like reliability, infection risk, and battery life.
- Closing that gap is the main work now, not just decoding algorithms.
Moving First Home Demonstration
- Sergey described implanting four electrode arrays in a man with severe ALS and decoding his attempted speech at home.
- After 30 minutes of training the system produced nearly error-free words from a limited vocabulary and moved the family to tears.
