Elon Musk has a knack for accomplishing feats that others consider improbable. From blasting rockets into space to becoming the king of the EV industry, Musk is determined to make history.
His latest passion project is Neuralinkâa company that is developing a brain implant that will link the human brain directly to computers. He claims this brain-computer interface (BCI) will enable humans to carry out actions through thought alone. One of Muskâs first goals: helping paraplegics regain their independence.
But it doesnât stop there. The companyâs technology, Musk hopes, will one day not only treat but cure brain disorders and even save memories so people can revisit them like photo albums.
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Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have constructed and tested a system that allows commercial electronic componentsâsuch as microprocessors on circuit boardsâto operate in close proximity with ultra-cold devices employed in quantum information processing. That design allows four times as much data to be output for the same number of connected wires.
In the rising excitement about quantum computing, it can be easy to overlook the physical fact that the data produced by manipulation of quantum bits (qubits) at cryogenic temperatures a few thousandths of a degree above absolute zero still has to be initiated, read out, and stored using conventional electronics, which presently work only at room temperature, several meters away from the qubits. This separation has obstructed development of quantum computing devices that outperform their classical counterparts.
That extra distance between the quantum computing elements and the external electronics requires extra time for signals to travel, which also causes signals to degrade. In addition, each (comparatively very hot) wire needed to connect the electronics to the cryogenic components adds heat, making it hard to maintain the ultracold temperature required for the quantum devices to work.