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DARPA Neurotechnology: The Deep Dive

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In 2009, the USC professor received millions from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, to build a device that plugs into the brain and enhances memory recall. With a small cadre of engineers at USC and Wake Forest, Berger spent the next six years building and testing the device in rats and primates. And then, “we ran out of money,” he says. There was nothing left over for human trials, until an opportune call came from Elon Musk’s secretary. The SpaceX CEO “was interested in the work we were doing,” says Berger; a 30-minute meeting was scheduled, but “we ended up talking for three hours.” Musk later wrote a check for one million dollars. The money was earmarked for human trials and, afterward, to develop a neural prosthesis that could augment memories in healthy adults. The meeting took place before the launch of Neuralink, in July 2016. (The company was not publicly unveiled until the following year.) In 2018, Berger and collaborators demonstrated that their neural

Archive DARPA Neurotechnology: The Deep Dive The most comprehensive database on DARPA neurotech projects, program managers, and outcomes (probably). Plus, a case study. Niko McCarty and Milan Cvitkovic Mar 28, 2023 22 4 2 Share You’re reading Codon, a newsletter about biology, technology, and the future. View our database of DARPA neurotechnology projects online. “I am a brain, Watson. The rest of me is a mere appendix.” — Arthur Conan Doyle Subscribe Ted Berger was running out of money. In 2009, the USC professor received millions from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA,

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