(Undark) – Advances in the field have proved life-changing for individuals living with conditions like Parkinson’s, spinal cord injury, and stroke. People who cannot speak or type due to paralysis have regained the ability to communicate with loved ones, people with severe epilepsy have significantly improved their quality of life, and people with blindness have been able to perceive partial vision.

But in opening the door to the brain, scientists have also unleashed a torrent of novel ethical concerns, raising fundamental questions about humanity and, crucially, where it may be heading. How society chooses to address the ethical implications of neurotechnology today, scientists like Yuste argue, will have profound impacts on the world of tomorrow. “There’s a new technology that’s emerging that could be transformational,” he said. “In fact, it could lead to the change of the human species.” (Read More)