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Hi and welcome back to another 
episode of the Elon Musk Podcast

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where we explore the latest 
developments in technology, 

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science and the world of 
startups. 

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And I think we have an 
intriguing story that takes us 

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to the frontier of biotechnology
and human machine interfaces. 

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We'll be discussing neural 
links. 

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Groundbreaking announcement, the
start of their first human 

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clinical trial, known as the 
PRIME Study. 

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Now, with the green light from 
an independent review board, 

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Neuralink is set to implant 
their brain, computer interface 

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and paralysis patients to assess
the device's safety and 

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functionality. 
And it's a big step for a 

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startup from Elon Musk that's 
been under both scrutiny and 

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highly anticipated. 
This is the moment many have 

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been waiting for, the pivot from
animal testing to human testing.

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According to Nerling's own blog,
the prime study, short for 

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Precise Robotically Implanted 
Brain Computer Interface, will 

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be conducted over six years. 
The initial phase consists of 18

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months of at home and clinic 
visits, followed by regular 

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followups over the next five 
years. 

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The target demographic includes 
individuals with quadriplegia 

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due to cervical spinal cord 
injuries, or lateral sclerosis, 

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commonly known as a LS. 
In this trial, they will have a 

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chip surgically inserted into 
the part of the brain that 

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controls the intention to move. 
This chip, placed by a robot, 

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will then transmit brain signals
to an app, with the primary goal

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of enabling the individual to 
control a computer cursor or a 

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keyboard solely through their 
thoughts. 

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Now let's break down what the 
PRIME study actually entails. 

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After getting the nod from the 
independent review board, 

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Neuralink is moving forward with
this initiative Focused on the 

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practical application of brain 
computer interfaces, the 

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implanted chip is designed to 
communicate with an app which 

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will capture brain signals and 
translate them into actions. 

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The immediate objective here is 
to get paralysis patients a way 

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to control computer interfaces 
like cursors and keyboards 

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without physical input, just by 
thinking about it. 

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And the chip will be inserted by
a robot into a specific region 

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of the brain that's responsible 
for the intention to move. 

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And it will be interesting to 
see how the technology evolves 

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as the study proceeds over the 
next six years. 

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Now the recruitment is open to 
people suffering from 

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quadriplegia due to spinal cord 
injuries or a LS. 

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The study is structured in such 
a way that it will be including 

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eighteen months of clinic visits
and at home monitoring, followed

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by five years of periodic follow
up visits. 

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And Neurolink has chosen A 
gradual approach, which could be

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a prudent decision given the 
sensitive nature of brain 

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implants in the required FDA 
oversight. 

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From what we've gathered, 
interested candidates can sign 

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up through a patient registry on
Neurolink's website, providing 

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them a chance to be part of this
experimental and potentially 

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life altering technology. 
Now, this announcement also puts

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Nerlink in the limelight as a 
forerunner in the brain computer

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interface arena. 
And despite the controversy 

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surrounding animal testing and 
the death of a monkey earlier 

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this year, the transition to 
human trials could be a pivotal 

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moment for both the company and 
the field of biotechnology. 

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And while the initial goal is 
somewhat modest, enabling 

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individuals to control a 
computer cursor or a keyboard, 

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what we're looking at here could
be the cornerstone of something 

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much larger. 
And the technology has the 

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potential to help us better 
understand the human brain and 

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possibly provide breakthroughs 
in treating neurological 

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disorders, among other 
applications. 

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Though Neuralink has been in the
works for approximately 5 years,

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it's experiments so far have 
been limited to animal testing, 

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and these experiments have not 
been without controversy. 

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In 2022, one of the test monkeys
died during project testing, 

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leading to increased scrutiny of
Neuralink's practices. 

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And Elon Musk's inspiration for 
Neuralink, as reported in a book

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by Walter Isaacson, comes from 
science fiction writers like 

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Lane Banks. 
There isn't is for a neural lace

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technology that allows for 
seamless brain machine 

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interaction. 
Now, last May, the company 

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announced FDA clearance for its 
human clinical trials and 

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approval confirmed by the FDA 
Now. 

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Additionally, Neural Link raised
$280 million in funding round 

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led by the Founders Fund. 
And Neural Link didn't have an 

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easy time getting approval for 
human testing. 

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Though. 
The FDA initially rejected 

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Neural Links request in 2022 due
to concerns about implant 

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migration and potential brain 
tissue damage, and despite 

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previous announcements, it was 
only this year that they 

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obtained the green light for 
trials after addressing many of 

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the FD A's concerns. 
However, internal voices within 

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Neural Link have raised concerns
that the company is hurrying its

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technology to market, which they
argue has resulted in negligent 

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animal testing in even a federal
investigation. 

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Now ethical questions loom 
large, especially when it comes 

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to the treatment of test 
animals. 

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An advocacy group for ethical 
science research, the Physicians

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Committee for Responsible 
Medicine, has called for an SEC 

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investigation into Elon Musk for
possible securities fraud 

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related to his claims about the 
safety of neuro links. 

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Animal trials. 
Publicly disclosed health 

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records of the test monkeys 
showed significant health issues

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post implant, including 
infections, brain swelling, and 

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more. 
Furthermore, Musk's claimed that

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the monkeys were close to death 
have been criticized as 

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misleading or even blatantly 
false. 

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While the technology is 
captivating, Nur Lake has a long

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journey ahead filled with 
challenges. 

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From securing additional FDA 
approvals to addressing ethical 

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concerns, the path isn't 
straightforward. 

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Other companies like Synchron 
Inc have already implanted 

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devices into the human brain, 
showing that neural link is not 

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alone in this high stakes race. 
The future of brain computer 

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interfaces is slowly 
materializing, but it remains a 

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complex insensitive area that 
demands the utmost caution. 

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Thank you for tuning into this 
episode of the Elon Musk 

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podcast. 
Say we've covered quite a lot 

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today discussing the promising 
yet controversial steps Neural 

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Link is taking toward human 
clinical trials. 

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To continue getting updates on 
all things related to Elon Musk,

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including his ambitious projects
and the challenges they face, 

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