TEDGlobal 2014
Miguel Nicolelis: Brain-to-brain communication has arrived. How we did it
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You may remember neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis — he built the brain-controlled exoskeleton that allowed a paralyzed man to kick the first ball of the 2014 World Cup. What’s he working on now? Building ways for two minds (rats and monkeys, for now) to send messages brain to brain. Watch to the end for an experiment that, as he says, will go to "the limit of your imagination."
Miguel Nicolelis - Neuroscientist
Miguel Nicolelis explores the limits of the brain-machine interface. Full bio
Miguel Nicolelis explores the limits of the brain-machine interface. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
On June 12, 2014, precisely at 3:33
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in a balmy winter afternoon
in São Paulo, Brazil,
in São Paulo, Brazil,
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a typical South American winter afternoon,
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this kid, this young man
that you see celebrating here
that you see celebrating here
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like he had scored a goal,
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Juliano Pinto, 29 years old,
accomplished a magnificent deed.
accomplished a magnificent deed.
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Despite being paralyzed
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and not having any sensation
from mid-chest to the tip of his toes
from mid-chest to the tip of his toes
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as the result of a car crash six years ago
that killed his brother
that killed his brother
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and produced a complete spinal cord lesion
that left Juliano in a wheelchair,
that left Juliano in a wheelchair,
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Juliano rose to the occasion,
and on this day did something
and on this day did something
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that pretty much everybody that saw him
in the six years deemed impossible.
in the six years deemed impossible.
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Juliano Pinto delivered the opening kick
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of the 2014 Brazilian
World Soccer Cup here
World Soccer Cup here
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just by thinking.
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He could not move his body,
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but he could imagine the movements
needed to kick a ball.
needed to kick a ball.
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He was an athlete before the lesion.
He's a para-athlete right now.
He's a para-athlete right now.
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He's going to be in the Paralympic Games,
I hope, in a couple years.
I hope, in a couple years.
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But what the spinal cord lesion
did not rob from Juliano
did not rob from Juliano
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was his ability to dream.
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And dream he did that afternoon,
for a stadium of about 75,000 people
for a stadium of about 75,000 people
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and an audience of close to a billion
watching on TV.
watching on TV.
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And that kick crowned, basically,
30 years of basic research
30 years of basic research
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studying how the brain,
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how this amazing universe
that we have between our ears
that we have between our ears
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that is only comparable to universe
that we have above our head
that we have above our head
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because it has about 100 billion elements
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talking to each other
through electrical brainstorms,
through electrical brainstorms,
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what Juliano accomplished
took 30 years to imagine in laboratories
took 30 years to imagine in laboratories
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and about 15 years to plan.
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When John Chapin and I,
15 years ago, proposed in a paper
15 years ago, proposed in a paper
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that we would build something
that we called a brain-machine interface,
that we called a brain-machine interface,
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meaning connecting a brain to devices
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so that animals and humans
could just move these devices,
could just move these devices,
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no matter how far they are
from their own bodies,
from their own bodies,
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just by imagining what they want to do,
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our colleagues told us that
we actually needed professional help,
we actually needed professional help,
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of the psychiatry variety.
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And despite that,
a Scot and a Brazilian persevered,
a Scot and a Brazilian persevered,
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because that's how we were raised
in our respective countries,
in our respective countries,
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and for 12, 15 years,
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we made demonstration after demonstration
suggesting that this was possible.
suggesting that this was possible.
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And a brain-machine interface
is not rocket science,
is not rocket science,
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it's just brain research.
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It's nothing but using sensors
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to read the electrical brainstorms
that a brain is producing
that a brain is producing
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to generate the motor commands
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that have to be downloaded
to the spinal cord,
to the spinal cord,
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so we projected sensors that can read
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hundreds and now thousands
of these brain cells simultaneously,
of these brain cells simultaneously,
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and extract from these electrical signals
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the motor planning
that the brain is generating
that the brain is generating
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to actually make us move into space.
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And by doing that, we converted
these signals into digital commands
these signals into digital commands
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that any mechanical, electronic,
or even a virtual device can understand
or even a virtual device can understand
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so that the subject can imagine
what he, she or it wants to make move,
what he, she or it wants to make move,
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and the device obeys that brain command.
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By sensorizing these devices
with lots of different types of sensors,
with lots of different types of sensors,
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as you are going to see in a moment,
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we actually sent messages
back to the brain to confirm
back to the brain to confirm
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that that voluntary motor will
was being enacted, no matter where --
was being enacted, no matter where --
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next to the subject, next door,
or across the planet.
or across the planet.
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And as this message gave feedback
back to the brain,
back to the brain,
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the brain realized its goal:
to make us move.
to make us move.
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So this is just one experiment
that we published a few years ago,
that we published a few years ago,
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where a monkey, without moving its body,
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learned to control the movements
of an avatar arm,
of an avatar arm,
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a virtual arm that doesn't exist.
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What you're listening to
is the sound of the brain of this monkey
is the sound of the brain of this monkey
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as it explores three different
visually identical spheres
visually identical spheres
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in virtual space.
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And to get a reward,
a drop of orange juice that monkeys love,
a drop of orange juice that monkeys love,
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this animal has to detect,
select one of these objects
select one of these objects
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by touching,
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not by seeing it, by touching it,
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because every time this virtual hand
touches one of the objects,
touches one of the objects,
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an electrical pulse goes back
to the brain of the animal
to the brain of the animal
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describing the fine texture
of the surface of this object,
of the surface of this object,
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so the animal can judge what is
the correct object that he has to grab,
the correct object that he has to grab,
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and if he does that, he gets a reward
without moving a muscle.
without moving a muscle.
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The perfect Brazilian lunch:
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not moving a muscle
and getting your orange juice.
and getting your orange juice.
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So as we saw this happening,
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we actually came and proposed the idea
that we had published 15 years ago.
that we had published 15 years ago.
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We reenacted this paper.
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We got it out of the drawers,
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and we proposed that perhaps we could get
a human being that is paralyzed
a human being that is paralyzed
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to actually use the brain-machine
interface to regain mobility.
interface to regain mobility.
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The idea was that if you suffered --
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and that can happen to any one of us.
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Let me tell you, it's very sudden.
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It's a millisecond of a collision,
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a car accident that
transforms your life completely.
transforms your life completely.
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If you have a complete lesion
of the spinal cord,
of the spinal cord,
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you cannot move because your brainstorms
cannot reach your muscles.
cannot reach your muscles.
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However, your brainstorms
continue to be generated in your head.
continue to be generated in your head.
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Paraplegic, quadriplegic patients
dream about moving every night.
dream about moving every night.
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They have that inside their head.
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The problem is how
to get that code out of it
to get that code out of it
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and make the movement be created again.
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So what we proposed was,
let's create a new body.
let's create a new body.
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Let's create a robotic vest.
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And that's exactly why Juliano could
kick that ball just by thinking,
kick that ball just by thinking,
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because he was wearing
the first brain-controlled robotic vest
the first brain-controlled robotic vest
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that can be used by paraplegic,
quadriplegic patients to move
quadriplegic patients to move
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and to regain feedback.
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That was the original idea, 15 years ago.
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What I'm going to show you is how
156 people from 25 countries
156 people from 25 countries
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all over the five continents
of this beautiful Earth,
of this beautiful Earth,
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dropped their lives,
dropped their patents,
dropped their patents,
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dropped their dogs, wives,
kids, school, jobs,
kids, school, jobs,
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and congregated to come to Brazil
for 18 months to actually get this done.
for 18 months to actually get this done.
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Because a couple years after Brazil
was awarded the World Cup,
was awarded the World Cup,
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we heard that the Brazilian government
wanted to do something meaningful
wanted to do something meaningful
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in the opening ceremony
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in the country that reinvented
and perfected soccer
and perfected soccer
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until we met the Germans, of course.
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(Laughter)
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But that's a different talk,
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and a different neuroscientist
needs to talk about that.
needs to talk about that.
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But what Brazil wanted to do
is to showcase
is to showcase
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a completely different country,
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a country that values science
and technology,
and technology,
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and can give a gift to millions,
25 million people around the world
25 million people around the world
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that cannot move any longer
because of a spinal cord injury.
because of a spinal cord injury.
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Well, we went to the Brazilian government
and to FIFA and proposed,
and to FIFA and proposed,
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well, let's have the kickoff
of the 2014 World Cup
of the 2014 World Cup
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be given by a Brazilian paraplegic
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using a brain-controlled exoskeleton
that allows him to kick the ball
that allows him to kick the ball
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and to feel the contact of the ball.
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They looked at us,
thought that we were completely nuts,
thought that we were completely nuts,
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and said, "Okay, let's try."
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We had 18 months to do everything
from zero, from scratch.
from zero, from scratch.
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We had no exoskeleton, we had no patients,
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we had nothing done.
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These people came all together
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and in 18 months, we got eight patients
in a routine of training
in a routine of training
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and basically built from nothing this guy,
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that we call Bra-Santos Dumont 1.
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The first brain-controlled
exoskeleton to be built
exoskeleton to be built
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was named after the most famous
Brazilian scientist ever,
Brazilian scientist ever,
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Alberto Santos Dumont,
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who, on October 19, 1901,
created and flew himself
created and flew himself
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the first controlled airship on air
in Paris for a million people to see.
in Paris for a million people to see.
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Sorry, my American friends,
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I live in North Carolina,
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but it was two years
before the Wright Brothers flew
before the Wright Brothers flew
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on the coast of North Carolina.
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(Applause)
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Flight control is Brazilian.
(Laughter)
(Laughter)
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So we went together with these guys
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and we basically put
this exoskeleton together,
this exoskeleton together,
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15 degrees of freedom,
hydraulic machine
hydraulic machine
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that can be commanded by brain signals
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recorded by a non-invasive technology
called electroencephalography
called electroencephalography
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that can basically allow the patient
to imagine the movements
to imagine the movements
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and send his commands
to the controls, the motors,
to the controls, the motors,
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and get it done.
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This exoskeleton was covered
with an artificial skin
with an artificial skin
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invented by Gordon Cheng,
one of my greatest friends, in Munich,
one of my greatest friends, in Munich,
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to allow sensation from the joints moving
and the foot touching the ground
and the foot touching the ground
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to be delivered back to the patient
through a vest, a shirt.
through a vest, a shirt.
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It is a smart shirt
with micro-vibrating elements
with micro-vibrating elements
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that basically delivers the feedback
and fools the patient's brain
and fools the patient's brain
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by creating a sensation that it is not
a machine that is carrying him,
a machine that is carrying him,
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but it is he who is walking again.
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So we got this going,
and what you'll see here
and what you'll see here
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is the first time one of our patients,
Bruno, actually walked.
Bruno, actually walked.
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And he takes a few seconds
because we are setting everything,
because we are setting everything,
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and you are going to see a blue light
cutting in front of the helmet
cutting in front of the helmet
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because Bruno is going to imagine
the movement that needs to be performed,
the movement that needs to be performed,
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the computer is going to analyze it,
Bruno is going to certify it,
Bruno is going to certify it,
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and when it is certified,
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the device starts moving
under the command of Bruno's brain.
under the command of Bruno's brain.
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And he just got it right,
and now he starts walking.
and now he starts walking.
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After nine years without
being able to move,
being able to move,
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he is walking by himself.
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And more than that --
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(Applause) --
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more than just walking,
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he is feeling the ground,
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and if the speed of the exo goes up,
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he tells us that he is walking again
on the sand of Santos,
on the sand of Santos,
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the beach resort where he used to go
before he had the accident.
before he had the accident.
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That's why the brain is creating
a new sensation in Bruno's head.
a new sensation in Bruno's head.
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So he walks, and at the end of the walk --
I am running out of time already --
I am running out of time already --
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he says, "You know, guys,
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I need to borrow this thing from you
when I get married,
when I get married,
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because I wanted to walk to the priest
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and see my bride and actually
be there by myself.
be there by myself.
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Of course, he will have it
whenever he wants.
whenever he wants.
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And this is what we wanted to show
during the World Cup, and couldn't,
during the World Cup, and couldn't,
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because for some mysterious reason,
FIFA cut its broadcast in half.
FIFA cut its broadcast in half.
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What you are going to see very quickly
is Juliano Pinto in the exo doing the kick
is Juliano Pinto in the exo doing the kick
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a few minutes before we went to the pitch
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and did the real thing
in front of the entire crowd,
in front of the entire crowd,
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and the lights you are going to see
just describe the operation.
just describe the operation.
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Basically, the blue lights pulsating
indicate that the exo is ready to go.
indicate that the exo is ready to go.
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It can receive thoughts
and it can deliver feedback,
and it can deliver feedback,
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and when Juliano
makes the decision to kick the ball,
makes the decision to kick the ball,
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you are going to see
two streams of green and yellow light
two streams of green and yellow light
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coming from the helmet
and going to the legs,
and going to the legs,
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representing the mental commands
that were taken by the exo
that were taken by the exo
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to actually make that happen.
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And in basically 13 seconds,
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Juliano actually did.
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You can see the commands.
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He gets ready,
the ball is set, and he kicks.
the ball is set, and he kicks.
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And the most amazing thing is,
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10 seconds after he did that,
and looked at us on the pitch,
and looked at us on the pitch,
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he told us, celebrating as you saw,
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"I felt the ball."
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And that's priceless.
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(Applause)
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So where is this going to go?
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I have two minutes to tell you
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that it's going to the limits
of your imagination.
of your imagination.
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Brain-actuating technology is here.
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This is the latest: We just
published this a year ago,
published this a year ago,
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the first brain-to-brain interface
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that allows two animals
to exchange mental messages
to exchange mental messages
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so that one animal that sees something
coming from the environment
coming from the environment
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can send a mental SMS,
a torpedo, a neurophysiological torpedo,
a torpedo, a neurophysiological torpedo,
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to the second animal,
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and the second animal performs
the act that he needed to perform
the act that he needed to perform
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without ever knowing what
the environment was sending as a message,
the environment was sending as a message,
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because the message came
from the first animal's brain.
from the first animal's brain.
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So this is the first demo.
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I'm going to be very quick
because I want to show you the latest.
because I want to show you the latest.
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But what you see here
is the first rat getting informed
is the first rat getting informed
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by a light that is going to show up
on the left of the cage
on the left of the cage
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that he has to press the left cage
to basically get a reward.
to basically get a reward.
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He goes there and does it.
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And the same time,
he is sending a mental message
he is sending a mental message
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to the second rat
that didn't see any light,
that didn't see any light,
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and the second rat,
in 70 percent of the times
in 70 percent of the times
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is going to press the left lever
and get a reward
and get a reward
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without ever experiencing
the light in the retina.
the light in the retina.
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Well, we took this
to a little higher limit
to a little higher limit
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by getting monkeys to collaborate
mentally in a brain net,
mentally in a brain net,
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basically to donate their brain activity
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and combine them to move
the virtual arm that I showed you before,
the virtual arm that I showed you before,
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and what you see here is the first time
the two monkeys combine their brains,
the two monkeys combine their brains,
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synchronize their brains perfectly
to get this virtual arm to move.
to get this virtual arm to move.
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One monkey is controlling the x dimension,
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the other monkey
is controlling the y dimension.
is controlling the y dimension.
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But it gets a little more interesting
when you get three monkeys in there
when you get three monkeys in there
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and you ask one monkey to control x and y,
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the other monkey to control y and z,
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and the third one to control x and z,
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and you make them all
play the game together,
play the game together,
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moving the arm in 3D into a target
to get the famous Brazilian orange juice.
to get the famous Brazilian orange juice.
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And they actually do.
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The black dot is the average
of all these brains working
of all these brains working
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in parallel, in real time.
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That is the definition
of a biological computer,
of a biological computer,
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interacting by brain activity
and achieving a motor goal.
and achieving a motor goal.
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Where is this going?
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We have no idea.
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We're just scientists.
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(Laughter)
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We are paid to be children,
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to basically go to the edge
and discover what is out there.
and discover what is out there.
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But one thing I know:
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One day, in a few decades,
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when our grandchildren
surf the Net just by thinking,
surf the Net just by thinking,
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or a mother donates her eyesight
to an autistic kid who cannot see,
to an autistic kid who cannot see,
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or somebody speaks because
of a brain-to-brain bypass,
of a brain-to-brain bypass,
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some of you will remember
that it all started on a winter afternoon
that it all started on a winter afternoon
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in a Brazilian soccer field
with an impossible kick.
with an impossible kick.
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Thank you.
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15:34
(Applause)
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Thank you.
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Bruno Giussani: Miguel,
thank you for sticking to your time.
thank you for sticking to your time.
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I actually would have given you
a couple more minutes,
a couple more minutes,
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because there are a couple of points
we want to develop, and, of course,
we want to develop, and, of course,
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clearly it seems that we need connected
brains to figure out where this is going.
brains to figure out where this is going.
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So let's connect all this together.
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So if I'm understanding correctly,
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one of the monkeys
is actually getting a signal
is actually getting a signal
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and the other monkey
is reacting to that signal
is reacting to that signal
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just because the first one is receiving it
and transmitting the neurological impulse.
and transmitting the neurological impulse.
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Miguel Nicolelis:
No, it's a little different.
No, it's a little different.
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No monkey knows of the existence
of the other two monkeys.
of the other two monkeys.
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They are getting a visual feedback in 2D,
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but the task they have
to accomplish is 3D.
to accomplish is 3D.
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They have to move an arm
in three dimensions.
in three dimensions.
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But each monkey is only getting
the two dimensions on the video screen
the two dimensions on the video screen
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that the monkey controls.
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And to get that thing done,
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you need at least two monkeys
to synchronize their brains,
to synchronize their brains,
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but the ideal is three.
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So what we found out is that
when one monkey starts slacking down,
when one monkey starts slacking down,
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the other two monkeys
enhance their performance
enhance their performance
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to get the guy to come back,
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16:59
so this adjusts dynamically,
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but the global synchrony remains the same.
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Now, if you flip
without telling the monkey
without telling the monkey
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the dimensions that each brain
has to control,
has to control,
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like this guy is controlling x and y,
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but he should be controlling now y and z,
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instantaneously, that animal's brain
forgets about the old dimensions
forgets about the old dimensions
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and it starts concentrating
on the new dimensions.
on the new dimensions.
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So what I need to say is
that no Turing machine,
that no Turing machine,
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no computer can predict
what a brain net will do.
what a brain net will do.
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So we will absorb technology
as part of us.
as part of us.
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Technology will never absorb us.
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It's simply impossible.
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BG: How many times have you tested this?
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And how many times
have you succeeded versus failed?
have you succeeded versus failed?
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MN: Oh, tens of times.
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With the three monkeys?
Oh, several times.
Oh, several times.
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I wouldn't be able to talk about this here
unless I had done it a few times.
unless I had done it a few times.
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And I forgot to mention, because of time,
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that just three weeks ago,
a European group
a European group
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just demonstrated the first
man-to-man brain-to-brain connection.
man-to-man brain-to-brain connection.
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BG: And how does that play?
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MN: There was one bit of information --
big ideas start in a humble way --
big ideas start in a humble way --
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but basically the brain activity
of one subject
of one subject
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was transmitted to a second object,
all non-invasive technology.
all non-invasive technology.
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So the first subject got a message,
like our rats, a visual message,
like our rats, a visual message,
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and transmitted it to the second subject.
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The second subject received
a magnetic pulse in the visual cortex,
a magnetic pulse in the visual cortex,
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or a different pulse,
two different pulses.
two different pulses.
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In one pulse, the subject saw something.
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On the other pulse,
he saw something different.
he saw something different.
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And he was able to verbally indicate
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18:42
what was the message
the first subject was sending
the first subject was sending
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through the Internet across continents.
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Moderator: Wow.
Okay, that's where we are going.
Okay, that's where we are going.
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That's the next TED Talk
at the next conference.
at the next conference.
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Miguel Nicolelis, thank you.
MN: Thank you, Bruno. Thank you.
MN: Thank you, Bruno. Thank you.
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Miguel Nicolelis - NeuroscientistMiguel Nicolelis explores the limits of the brain-machine interface.
Why you should listen
At the Nicolelis Laboratory at Duke University, Miguel Nicolelis is best known for pioneering studies in neuronal population coding, Brain Machine Interfaces (BMI) and neuroprosthetics in human patients and non-human primates.His lab's work was seen, famously though a bit too briefly, when a brain-controlled exoskeleton from his lab helped Juliano Pinto, a paraplegic man, kick the first ball at the 2014 World Cup.
But his lab is thinking even bigger. They've developed an integrative approach to studying neurological disorders, including Parkinsons disease and epilepsy. The approach, they hope, will allow the integration of molecular, cellular, systems and behavioral data in the same animal, producing a more complete understanding of the nature of the neurophysiological alterations associated with these disorders. He's the author of the books Beyond Boundaries and The Relativistic Brain.
Miguel was honored as one of Foreign Policy's 2015 Global Thinkers.
Miguel Nicolelis | Speaker | TED.com