Paralytic walks again

Hope is a powerful motivator, and technology can sometimes bring new hope to more people. Today, new technology has brought some of that long-awaited hope to paralyzed people.

Watch the video of 5:51 minutes to learn about this revolutionary technology that has helped a paralyzed man walk again (source: Sky News).

Questions about the video

1. What happened to Gert-Jan Oskam?
2. Why is the new technology so important?
3. Medical correspondent Thomas Moore explains that the device connects two things in Mr Oskam’s body, which two things?
4. How good are the results of the device right now?
5. Professors Courtine and Bloch say that right now only one patient can use the device, why do they still think this could be a ‘revolution’?

The new brain-spinal interface technology is the result of many years of research. Read this article from the BBC to learn about other technologies that also link with the brain. Then, read this article from the Guardian to learn about the safety of these technologies.

Questions about the texts

1. How does Neuralink work?
2. What are Mrs Cabrera’s and other sceptics’ concerns?
3. What has the US Food and Drug Administration approved?
4. What could make the technology unsafe?

Discussion questions

1. What do you think about technologies artificially linking the brain with the spine and computers?
2. Which diseases do you think will be a thing of the past thanks to these technologies?

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