hot #science posts on Hive

My 31 CFR 515 monitor updated smoothly, and I added a second one for the Sept. 30-born 31 CFR 516

limonta — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 03:53:15 GMT

A live test, at last. There is no better trial for the tools I have built over the past months than a real change in the regulations I follow as a researcher of U.S. policy toward Cuba.

This week OFAC made substantive amendments to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR), the rules in force since 1963 through which it administers the core of the comprehensive sanctions on the island (Federal Register, Sept. 30, 2026). I wanted to confirm that my update mechanism could handle that change, and it did. The monitoring service, a Node server, noticed that the Federal Register had published the amendments before eCFR reflected them, and it kept that gap visible in the interface. Then eCFR activated the changes at around 6:30 pm on October 1. The server downloaded the modified sections from the eCFR API on its own, cached them, and added them to my local archive.

The part that made it interesting: a new Part

The same day, OFAC created the Cuba Sanctions Regulations (CSR), now codified at 31 CFR Part 516 (Federal Register notice). They implement Executive Order 14404, which OFAC reproduces as an appendix to the new part. The regulations are published in abbreviated form, are separate from Part 515, and OFAC says it intends to supplement them later.

This is a different problem from amending a section. On September 30, Part 516 did not exist in eCFR, and it will not appear in an annual CFR edition until next year. I could not simply reuse my Part 515 logic of calling the eCFR API, because there was nothing to call yet. So the tracker needed two phases behind one interface.

Phase 1: read the Federal Register. The server downloads the official XML of the publication (91 FR 61748, document 2026-19977) and converts every section into the same DIV8 structure that eCFR uses. The frontend parses it exactly as it parses an eCFR section, so the page does not know the difference. One detail cost me some attention: in the XML, Appendix A (the Executive Order) sits inside the last section element, § 516.513. If you do not cut it out, the order shows up as part of that section.

// The appendix header arrives inside the last SECTION (§ 516.513):
// everything after it belongs to the appendix, not to the section.
const cut = kids.findIndex(k => k.type === 'tag' && k.name.toUpperCase() === 'HD'
    && /^Appendix\b/i.test(tidyText($(k).text())));
const secNodes = cut >= 0 ? kids.slice(0, cut) : kids;

Phase 2: hand over to eCFR. While the server is in Phase 1, it asks the eCFR versions API every 30 minutes whether Part 516 has any sections. If the answer is empty, it keeps serving the Federal Register copy. When sections appear, it downloads the whole part in a single call, replaces the Federal Register snapshots with eCFR's, rebuilds the index, and switches its source flag. After that, it checks every four hours for later amendments. The original XML stays on disk as an untouched record of the publication.

const resp = await axios.get(
    `${ECFR_API_BASE}/versions/title-31.json?subtitle=B&chapter=V&part=${PART}`,
    { ...FR_UA_HEADERS, timeout: 30000, validateStatus: s => s < 500 });
cv = (resp.status === 200 && resp.data && Array.isArray(resp.data.content_versions))
    ? resp.data.content_versions : [];
// ... keep only entries whose part is '516' ...
if (ids.length === 0) {
    state.ecfr.hasPart = false;
    saveState();
    return false;   // not in eCFR yet: keep serving the Federal Register copy
}
// ... otherwise download the full part at its latest version date
// and set state.source = 'ecfr'

const ms = state.source === 'ecfr' ? SETTLED_CHECK_MS : PENDING_CHECK_MS; // 4 h : 30 min

The page follows the server. A small polling loop compares a key made of the current source, the version hash, and the number of pending documents. When the key changes, the open view reloads itself, index and section included, so I do not have to refresh anything.

const key = `${st.source}|${st.versionKey || ''}|${(st.pendingDocs || []).length}`;
const changed = _status516Key !== null && key !== _status516Key;

The interface now has one tab for Part 515 and one for Part 516. The 516 tab shows where the text currently comes from (Federal Register or eCFR), links to the official PDF, and lists any later Federal Register documents that eCFR has not consolidated yet. When eCFR took over, the source label changed with it.

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Mi Experiencia en el Taller de Herpetología del IVIC: Pasión por la Ciencia y los Anfibios 🐸✨ / My Experience at the IVIC Herpetology Workshop: Passion for Science and Amphibians

milydaya — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 02:48:30 GMT

[ESP] ¡Hola a todos! 👋

Espero que se encuentren muy bien. Hoy me entusiasma muchísimo compartir con ustedes una de las vivencias más enriquecedoras e inolvidables que he tenido. A continuación, quiero contarles a detalle cómo fue mi maravillosa experiencia participando en el taller de herpetología organizado por el IVIC. ¡Acompáñenme en este viaje científico!

[ENG] Hello everyone! 👋

I hope you are all doing great. Today I am incredibly excited to share with you one of the most enriching and unforgettable experiences I've ever had. In the following lines, I want to tell you all about my wonderful journey participating in the herpetology workshop organized by IVIC. Join me on this scientific adventure!

🌿🔬🌿🔬🌿🔬🌿

[ESP] Un Sueño Hecho Realidad en el IVIC

Todo comenzó cuando vi que estaba abierto el concurso para un taller de herpetología en el IVIC (Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas). Desde el primer momento me llamó muchísimo la atención y decidí postularme. Uno de los requisitos principales era redactar una carta explicativa. En ella, expresé mi profundo deseo de aprender sobre esta rama de la zoología y lo mucho que significaba para mí recibir capacitación en una institución tan prestigiosa. El IVIC es un lugar fascinante, un espacio inmenso dedicado por entero a la ciencia, donde hacen vida los mejores especialistas e investigadores de Venezuela. ¡A los pocos días recibí el correo de aceptación y la emoción fue indescriptible!

El taller estaba estructurado en siete días intensos: cinco días de teoría y un fin de semana de práctica en campo. Al llegar el primer día a las instalaciones, quedé completamente encantada. Me encontré rodeada de personas sumamente inteligentes, intelectuales, científicos y apasionados de la investigación. Durante los días teóricos, nos sumergimos en el origen y la práctica de la herpetología, comprendiendo a fondo la biología de los anfibios y reptiles, y conociendo la asombrosa diversidad de especies que posee nuestro país.

El grupo de apasionados por la ciencia frente al Centro de Ecología del IVIC.

[ENG] A Dream Come True at IVIC

It all started when I saw an open call for a herpetology workshop at IVIC (Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research). It caught my attention immediately, and I decided to apply. One of the main requirements was to write a motivation letter. In it, I expressed my deep desire to learn about this branch of zoology and how much it meant to me to receive training at such a prestigious institution. IVIC is a fascinating place, a massive space entirely dedicated to science, home to Venezuela's top specialists and researchers. A few days later, I received the acceptance email, and my excitement was beyond words!

The workshop was structured into seven intense days: five days of theory and a weekend of field practice. When I arrived on the first day, I was completely enchanted by the facilities. I found myself surrounded by highly intelligent people, intellectuals, scientists, and researchers. During the theoretical days, we dove deep into the origins and practice of herpetology, thoroughly understanding the biology of amphibians and reptiles, and learning about the amazing diversity of species in our country.

The group of science enthusiasts in front of the IVIC Ecology Center.

🐸🐍🐸🐍🐸🐍🐸

[ESP] Rumbo al Campo: Estación Ecológica Guáquira

Para los días de práctica, nos trasladamos al estado Yaracuy, cerca de San Felipe, específicamente a la Estación Ecológica Guáquira. Este es un territorio protegido increíble, destinado al resguardo de la biodiversidad y al desarrollo de múltiples estudios científicos sobre la fauna local.

Llegada a la emblemática Estación Ecológica Guáquira (Fundada en 2004).

Nuestras jornadas en el campo consistían en caminatas diurnas cruzando riachuelos y senderos selváticos para reconocer el hábitat. Los profesores nos daban valiosas explicaciones sobre la ecología del lugar mientras nos preparábamos para el plato fuerte: las jornadas nocturnas.

Recorriendo los ríos y senderos durante el día equipados para el terreno.

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Today's Prayer Points — Wisdom for Science, Technology & Exploration

thinkinginhim — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 23:02:09 GMT

Today's Prayer Points
Wisdom for Science, Technology & Exploration

For scientists to pursue truth with humility and care for creation.
For wisdom in how technology shapes our homes and daily choices.
For exploration that honors human dignity and the Creator's glory.

[Anime] Sparks of Tomorrow and the debate Skepticism x Faith

gwajnberg — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 21:00:45 GMT

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/gwajnberg/23xpAyiikMfV9PKLqnnB1qEToGDoCAyon7pMixD2ehMDrfTqKPuCprz7om51DXoh1qyZQ.png) _{Poster from The Movie Database}

I started looking for a new anime to hook me in, and I came across the not-so-old "Sparks of Tomorrow" on Netflix; it is one of the newly licensed anime from the streaming company. It started in July, but the last episode became available only at the end of last month! I could watch all 13 episodes without needing to stop, thankfully! I started to watch,h and the last episodes were still being released. So I will be frank that I almost stopped watching in the beginning, but in the end the experience was good.

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/gwajnberg/23w2j6ii4tWsMsMfw45rhpmbpSBW8gDADS85KzXHbxuYLXWGr2QrBbC9U9WaWLB7Xiote.png)

_{Kahichi and Inako bringing the balance of skepticism and faith.[Screenshot available at The Movie DB]}

The anime has great visuals with interesting colors that amaze you;d, it is unique. The anime is focused on the city of Kyoto, and despite being an animation, you feel the landscapes of the city in the beginning of the Meiji Era, the beginning of the XX century! But it is an alternate story where the main power is based on steam, which keeps the city covered in haze all the time. What made me almost escape from the anime was the "villain" Yosuke; he was a very exaggerated character, too flamboyant and crazy.

The anime is about this kid called Kihachi, a genius from a young age, who is basically a scientist; his brother always stimulated his genius, and he helped sketch some inventions based on his creativity as a kid. His older brother, Seroku, just continued what Kihachi started as a kid's idea to make the 20th Century Electrical Catalog, a book with ideas about electrical devices that would change the world. Seroku died in the war, and the catalog got lost with him. Yosuke wants to get his hands on the catalog while Kihachi tries to create devices that are in the catalog. Kihachi meets Inako, a very faithful and religious girl who believes a lot in Kihachi.

The anime plays a lot between skepticism of Kihachi and the blind faith of Inako to find a balance between both. In one of the episodes, he creates a supposed device that connects two couples,s making them fall in love. In the end,d Kihachi shows that the device had an electrical problem and it wasn't even connected to work, so basically the results were all a placebo effect. That type of idea was interesting to bring into an anime. In another episode, he creates a telephone in order to make a widow supposedly talk with her dead husband, but in reality there was another person on the other side of the telephone pretending to be him, and they did this to cheer up the widow that couldn't leave the room. In this case,e they used science to pretend something supernatural in order to heal a broken heart.

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/gwajnberg/23vsUkx8WEHXKyfyHMQLXjsmSrioBEyrnW62Bxm3Jdwi5LUMcMSWb2EhvqQE6WZwqgXxo.png)

_{The handsome and obsessive Yosuke trying to recover the lost Seroku at all costs. [Screenshot available at The Movie DB]}

The end of the anime is a bit catastrophic: it's the end of Yosuke's obsessive dreams of having Seroku back through a computer-like device, ice but cute thinking on Inako and Kihara getting closer brings the balance to each other, bringing motivation to each other to try to accomplish their own dreams. It is a cute ending, and I like the way they brought skepticism and faith together.

[![](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/gwajnberg/23wMS5Mk5RaoA6EdKv35TPtYzT2oppCtUWD6qwC5GUBMb877AgJ5rGzJeoTew2bGQJQWZ.png)](https://vote.hive.uno/@gwajnberg) _{Banner created in canva}

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/gwajnberg/23u5tR8RSXuZFgpjQ6Eiqz8JMMjig1nLZFvxM1sFhvNmiGYA2snkPD7Z4TnmFxxRyih87.png)

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The union of biology and machine.

rebe.torres12 — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 15:41:27 GMT

The union of biology and machine.

![image.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmSd9RaiZhq4Jc6dgWNX52fPSY51fXpwxnY2DLocW8h419/image.png)
https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmcM9vDyChXWWfaBhnqxXD5scZn7pnHcZrWiwyZ8HMwmbX/separador%201.png

A group of researchers attempted to connect brain tissue to computers in an experiment dubbed "Brainoware." At the heart of the system lay a brain organoid derived from human cells; however, instead of being transplanted into an animal, it was placed onto an electrode array. Through these electrodes, a computer could send electrical stimuli to the tissue and record how its neurons responded.

On one side was conventional electronics; on the other, a network of living human neurons. Yet, simply exchanging signals was not the primary goal; the researchers sought to discover something far more intriguing: could this tissue participate in computation? To test this, they used something unexpected—human voices. Recordings of people pronouncing Japanese sounds were converted into electrical stimulation patterns and sent to the organoid. Each input triggered a response in the neural network, which the computer recorded and used to attempt to identify the speaker.

Performance was initially limited, but during training, the organoid's responses and functional connectivity evolved, improving its performance in the speech recognition task. The researchers also used the system to predict a nonlinear dynamic equation. This does not imply that a tiny brain inside the machine was learning Japanese—there is no evidence the organoid understood the meaning of those sounds. Rather, the researchers were exploring something far more fundamental—and perhaps for that very reason, highly useful: plasticity.

![image.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQme73bxYpqt9Ae8kapHHMZyDUsuCYimiaMma3eooELxfqh/image.png)
https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmcM9vDyChXWWfaBhnqxXD5scZn7pnHcZrWiwyZ8HMwmbX/separador%201.png

Biological neural networks do not always respond in the same way; with repeated stimuli, their connections and activity patterns can change. Brainoware harnessed these dynamics as part of a system known as "Reservoir Computing." Instead of a conventional processor performing all the necessary transformations on its own, some of them occur within the responses of the living neural network itself. This creates a rather curious reversal: for decades, we tried to make machines imitate the brain, creating artificial neural networks, neuromorphic chips, and algorithms inspired by how neurons function.

Now, some researchers are taking the opposite path; rather than trying to build neurons using silicon, they are incorporating real neurons into the computing process. This line of research has even been given a name: Organoid Intelligence. It remains an experimental field—an organoid is incomparably simpler than a human brain; it lacks a body and our sensory systems, and there is no evidence that these systems possess a human mind or consciousness—yet Brainoware demonstrated an important concept.

A machine does not need to be built solely from electronic components to perform computations; part of it can be biological. This is precisely where the story takes another turn, because neurons are complex—they must remain alive and depend on extremely specific conditions. However, it may not be necessary to build something resembling a brain to harness biology for computation. There is a much simpler molecule that already performs another essential function within virtually all our cells—storing information in extraordinary quantities: DNA. And that represents yet another avenue of research and inquiry.

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmcM9vDyChXWWfaBhnqxXD5scZn7pnHcZrWiwyZ8HMwmbX/separador%201.png

Sorry for my Ingles, it's not my main language. The images were taken from the sources used or were created with artificial intelligence

Posted Using INLEO

🚀 Space Weather News: Solar Watch, Shocking Ring Change, Deadly Volcano | S0 News Oct.2.2026 🌠

jang — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 15:18:15 GMT

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Source: Ben Davidson - Space Weather News

**Previous S0 News :**

THE Tsunami Model, Solar Storm Arriving | S0 News Oct.1.2026

Heart on the Sun, Solar Forcing Wind/Lightning | S0 News Sep.30.2026

Sun Launches CME at Earth, Pole Shift Science | S0 News Sep.29.2026

Saturn Jet Disappears, Earthquakes, Solar Watch | S0 News Sep.28.2026

US Storm, Alien Ocean, Superflare Data, Core Dynamics | S0 News Sep.26.2026

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[ENG/ESP] Science as a compass and engine of sustainable development

tonyes — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 09:00:03 GMT

When the international community adopted the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, it charted an ambitious roadmap to eradicate poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity. However, a map without tools is merely a drawing. Science, in its broadest sense, provides the indispensable instruments needed to navigate that path. Far from being an academic luxury, scientific knowledge is today a prerequisite for achieving the goals we have set for ourselves as a species.

source

The role of science in the SDGs extends beyond technological innovation. Its primary contribution is epistemological: it enables us to measure, monitor, and understand reality. Without reliable data on carbon emissions, deforestation rates, multidimensional poverty indices, or antimicrobial resistance, governments would be navigating blindly. Science provides the observation systems—such as satellites, sensors, and statistical surveys—that transform complex problems into actionable indicators. Without this empirical foundation, the SDGs would be nothing more than rhetorical statements with no possibility of accountability.

Secondly, science acts as a generator of solutions. SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) relies on drought-resistant crop varieties and experimentally validated agroecological practices. SDG 3 (health and well-being) relies on vaccines, early diagnostics, and epidemiological models. SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) requires more efficient solar panels, storage batteries, and smart grids. SDG 13 (climate action) demands carbon capture, renewable energy, and evidence-based adaptation. In each case, basic and applied research drives progress.

However, science must also be self-critical. Not all innovation is sustainable by definition. History shows that technological advances can create new problems—such as pollution, inequality, or dependency—if developed without a systemic perspective. Therefore, the role of science encompasses impact assessment, the precautionary principle, and the pursuit of solutions that are not only efficient but also just and equitable. The SDGs are integrated in nature: social justice cannot be achieved without environmental sustainability, nor vice versa. Science must operate according to that same logic of interconnectedness.

source

A third essential role is the democratization of knowledge. For science to serve the SDGs, it cannot remain confined to elite laboratories. It must translate into public policy, civic education, and technology accessible to rural or vulnerable communities. Open science, technology transfer, and international cooperation are key mechanisms. Without equitable access to knowledge, the SDGs would merely reproduce the very gaps they aim to close. Finally, I must say that science offers a fundamental virtue: the humility to learn and correct course. The SDGs are dynamic goals in a changing world. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that science can generate rapid responses, but also that misinformation and inequality hinder their implementation. The lesson is clear: we need more science—better communicated and more integrated into decision-making.

source

A final comment

The role of science in achieving the SDGs is threefold: it is a beacon that illuminates problems, an engine that generates solutions, and a bridge connecting knowledge with collective action. However, science does not operate in a vacuum.

It requires political will, sustained funding, ethics, and social participation. The SDGs will not be achieved through laboratories alone, but neither can they be achieved without them. Ultimately, science is the compass that guides us and the fuel that drives the transition toward a more just and habitable future. To ignore it would be to abandon the very possibility of truly sustainable development.

Note: I used the DeepL translator.

ESPAÑOL

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Build a good habit.

nsigo1 — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 05:02:03 GMT

Habit is one thing that we must intentionally build and if we must build it , it should be a good and positive habit. Because the habits that we develop can make or mar us over time. At times we start it as a simple harmless lifestyle and with time the effects starts showing.
‎
‎Over the years I have learnt to develop an habit of always completing what ever I started, no matter how tough it may appear to be. Sometimes ago, I started a project , the starting process was smooth and stress free, but at a point the struggle was somehow unbearable, it was difficult, it was financially draining, it was discouraging. At a point I felt like stoping, but I thought to myself, why must I stop half way, how about time , energy and resources that I have already invested into the said project. I had every reason to stop, but I still had more reasons to keep pushing. When ever I remembered that I am trying to build a habit of always finishing what I have started, it give me more confidence to keep pushing.
‎
‎Procrastination is another habit that I have always tried to avoid. Most times the laziness of wanting to do a particular thing will set in , but knowing that you are fighting against something will help you play your card well just to stay ahead of it.
‎
Learning to appreciate every act of kindness is another habit that I have carefully learn to develop over time. Because I know gratitude open more doors. So when someone shows any act of kindness I try my best to appreciate them and also reciprocate same to the best of my ability.
‎
‎So there are habit we should all learn to uphold and there are some we should try and do away with.

The Block Universe Causes Science To Clash With Religion

epicenterdefacto — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 21:01:15 GMT

You may or may not have heard about Calvinism. If you have never heard of it, let me explain it to you. This religion has a doctrine that claims that God has selected certain people to go to Heaven and others to receive eternal damnation.

My World Studies I teacher, Mr. Sawyer, back in my freshman year of high school explained that being a Calvinist who was predestined to salvation did not mean that such a person would let the good times roll and never worry about spending an eternity in Hell. According to what he told me and my classmates, Calvinism was not plain and simple in that respect.

Mr. Sawyer explained that, under that same belief system, if someone was predestined for Heaven, then such a prophecy would manifest in their actions as a human being in that they would behave as a religious person should do so. On the other hand, he also explained that, under that same belief system, if someone was predestined for Hell, then they would behave in an evil way during their lifetime on Earth.

Well, I have stumbled across a scientific theory regarding time that is called the "block universe." Below is a video that explains it thoroughly.

The Block Universe Has Every Past, Present, And Future Moment Of Our Lives Written In Stone
https://youtu.be/Hv7f1bedXOE?si=J0iO0n7i63w0ASOl

According to the video above, none of us have free will. Everything in our past, present, and future has been predetermined. All of the mathematical equations that scientists and the likes have produced lead back to the block universe, and there has never been any mathematical equation that could discredit them.

If everything that the gentleman says in the video above is true, I don't see how anyone who believes in the block universe could be an atheist, because it is clearly identical to what Calvinists believe. That is, the Calvinists believe that everything in our lives has been predetermined and that God has made that decision for us.

I'm an agnostic, so I guess I cannot rule out the reality of the block universe. Being an agnostic doesn't mean that I completely disbelieve in the existence of God but rather that I don't know for sure whether or not he exists. Of course, it doesn't mean that I will be becoming a Christian fundamentalist any time soon. The therapist in the video below obviously does not follow the philosophy of the block universe, because she appears to contend that people do have free will.

YouTuber Gentle Path Forward Connects Prolonged Loneliness With Cardiovascular Disease
https://youtu.be/as4QIrvU80g?si=qj-MrkIiRHiImV8k

It's interesting that YouTuber Gentle Path Forward should correlate prolonged loneliness in men to cardiovascular mortality, because I came across another study that claimed that men that got married and started a family at a young age were more likely to die in their forties or fifties from a heart attack than late bloomers were. You can never tell who to trust with health-related information these days. Of course, that's another article for another time.

My question is that if the block universe is real, what would be the point of following YouTuber Gentle Path Forward's advice that she gives in the above video? If every moment of your life has been predestined so that you never find the love of your life, then it is futile for you even to make the effort to find that significant other inasmuch as you have no free will in that event.

By the same token, if the block universe is not only a theory but real, then why set forth the effort to find romance and love, because destiny will bring it your way if it is written in stone that fate will do so anyway?

There are many scientists in this day and age that believe in the block universe. However, they do not share the same perspectives with one another about it.

Some scientists strongly doubt that anyone could ever travel to the past or the future to see different parts of their lives. Others say that you could do so, but you wouldn't be able to interact with the events taking place inside of the time blocks of the block universe. Therefore, it would be kind of like Ebenezer Scrooge taking a trip with the Ghost of Christmas Past in the Charles Dickens novel titled A Christmas Carol.

Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson appears to recognize the existence of the block universe, but he also seems to contend that time travel is something possible. At the same time, he appears to believe that time travel is dangerous because of prospective paradoxes that could ensue from it. Like me, Mr. DeGrasse Tyson is an agnostic.

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Brain-computer bidirectionality.

rebe.torres12 — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 16:23:54 GMT

Brain-computer bidirectionality.

https://i.ecency.com/DQmX22gU4KEDi7rjNyRZVyhyxMPt9UMF1SAUHUReWPnrdb9/image.png
https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmcM9vDyChXWWfaBhnqxXD5scZn7pnHcZrWiwyZ8HMwmbX/separador%201.png

Neuralink is already attempting to transmit vision directly to the brain; the project is called Blindsight, and its goal is to use a brain implant to try to restore some level of visual perception to blind individuals. However, there is a specific detail that makes this technology particularly interesting. The concept involves creating vision without relying directly on the eyes. When we see something, the eyes are merely the starting point of the process: the retina converts light into electrical signals, which travel along the optic nerve to the regions of the brain responsible for visual processing; it is only there that these signals begin to transform into what we perceive as an image.

Blindsight aims to explore the other end of this pathway: a camera would capture the surroundings, an external device would convert that input into data, and the Neuralink implant would directly stimulate the visual cortex. In other words, the system would attempt to deliver an image straight to the brain. In 2024, the FDA granted Blindsight "breakthrough device" designation, which could facilitate the company's interaction with the agency during the development process.

This does not mean the technology has been approved for clinical use, and there is another important detail to consider: if it works, we should not expect someone to immediately regain vision comparable to our own. One of the foundational elements studied in this field is phosphenes—perceptions of small dots or flashes of light produced when specific regions of the visual system are stimulated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU7XlqDBIZk
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The great challenge lies in controlling many of those stimuli and transforming them into patterns the brain can interpret as useful information. While this might initially allow for the distinction of shapes, contours, or objects—or help someone navigate their surroundings—the underlying principle is far more profound. With Terry, we saw a machine attempting to learn how to interpret signals generated by the brain; with technology like Blindsight, the dynamic is reversed: the machine must figure out how to produce signals that the brain can interpret.

If we eventually master both directions—brain-to-machine and machine-to-brain—we will have created something vastly different from the interfaces we use today. We will no longer be talking merely about controlling computers with our thoughts; we will be discussing technology capable of directly exchanging information with the human brain. This raises a final question: currently, these technologies are primarily developed to restore lost functions—such as movement, speech, or vision—but what happens once we perfect this process? Will we continue to use brain interfaces solely to restore human capabilities, or will we begin using them to create capabilities we never possessed before?

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Sorry for my Ingles, it's not my main language. The images were taken from the sources used or were created with artificial intelligence

Posted Using INLEO