Newsletter 44: Education 3.0 Mindcontrol Gaming - Mindcontrol Education?

This week saw the news that Elon Musk's company, Neuralink, fitted their first chip into a human named Nolan Arbaugh. If you have not yet seen the video, I would recommend you watch the Guardian short below, as it is clear that Nolan's quality of life has certainly improved with the brain implant.

I really like his description of using the link, as he compares it to "using the force." When it was fitted, he played video games all evening, including Age of Civilisation. While I can relate to all-night video game sessions, the idea of using brain waves to control the game does feel super futuristic. I am certain that his life is better with this chip, and I am delighted he seems pleased with his choice to fit a brain implant and that he's playing chess again.

Elon Musk has an expansive vision of the future, and Neuralink is, in his own conceptual way, is an idea that can enable a way in which we may be able to live with AGI or future versions of highly sophisticated and highly developed artificial intelligence. In order to move forward for fully healthy individuals in FDA, they must start to construct the idea that these devices are fully safe to use, but who would actually get an implant and then connect it to a super sophisticated AGI.

I know who would Master Chief.

Learning only takes place in the brain. These types of devices can predict language before it occurs and theoretically could be used to improve learning. But as information comes out of the brain in the form of waves, theoretically, information can also go into the brain, as is Elon Musk's vision for the combination of AGI and the brain. The scene from the Matrix where Neo downloads kung-fu could possibly take a huge step forward, but should we take this step.

As a second language learner, in theory, it would be a lot easier to download Spanish directly into your brain than to actually learn it.

But how do they work?

You may be suprised to know that playing video games with your mind, already exists.

If you have never come across the world of streamers, I highly recommend you take a look. Below is a video of a streamer who has put in 600 hours into teaching herself how to play video games with an encephalogram.

Mind-control gaming, I would argue, looks set to explode. I believe it would be a much smoother and fun way to engage with video games.

How could this be used in education?

Newer versions of the Metaquest headsets and Apple Vision Pro could easily be fitted with this technology to allow us to connect telepathically with the powerful computer strapped to our face, making handsets and controllers a thing of the past. If we combine this technology with robotics, digital twins, and Metaverse worlds, I am sure the logical conclusion would be that we could use our minds to control different technological items in our physical world through our brain implants or control our avatars in Metaverse worlds linked to learning.

This seems very plausible to me, much more so now as these types of technological advancements will be part of the supercycle of technological change that looks set to transform the fabric of our society and our ways of educating.

What do you think will happen with mind control technology? Drop your thoughts below.