Here Are the Major Advances in Brain Implants That Happened in 2020

Scientists moved closer to linking the human brain to computers

For decades, scientists have been trying to forge a direct connection from the human brain to external devices to allow people to control machines with their minds. And over the years, there’s been incremental success. Known as brain-computer interfaces, these devices have allowed paralyzed people to control robotic arms and a mouse on a computer screen just by thinking about it. But these interfaces require clunky setups and trained engineers to supervise their use. They can’t yet be used at home to help people in their everyday lives.

This year, neuroscientists got closer to that reality. Here are some of the notable advancements in brain implants we saw in 2020.

A startup achieved the largest-ever electrical recording of cortical activity

In July, startup Paradromics said in a research paper that it achieved the largest-ever electrical recording of neural activity from the cerebral cortex, the thin protective layer that covers the…