Dr. Geoffrey Ling on Neurotech, DARPA & Why the Military Backed a Real-Life Luke Skywalker Arm

Nov 18, 2025

01:15:20

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Dr. Geoffrey Ling is a neurologist, neurosurgeon, anesthesiologist, military veteran, entrepreneur, and all-around force of nature. In this deep-dive conversation, he takes us through his journey from Johns Hopkins to the battlefield, to DARPA and beyond—leading the charge in trauma medicine, brain health innovation, and prosthetics that literally read your mind. He reflects on his time with the Gray Team, building brain-controlled arms, and co-leading the BrainHealth Project—casting a bold vision for how America can lead in neuroscience, AI, and leadership if we bet big on bold ideas.

In This Episode

[02:00] Military Brilliance: Johns Hopkins, DARPA, and battlefield innovation

[04:30] Developing brain tech to save soldiers' lives

[07:45] DARPA: What it is, why it matters, and what it launched

[13:00] JFK, Eisenhower, and the moon mission mindset

[19:40] How IEDs and brain trauma changed combat medicine

[25:00] Measuring the invisible injury of blast waves

[30:00] Making Brain-Controlled Prosthetics Real: From sci-fi to 60 Minutes

[37:45] Jan’s Story: Flying a fighter jet with your brain

[42:30] Brain-Machine Interfaces: Where AI meets human potential

[48:00] Why the U.S. Can Win in AI

[52:00] Brain Health Revolution: Dementia prevention.