Ep028: Brain Skepticism Turned Up to 11, Web Browsing in '69, Verilog For 7400 Logic

Hackaday Podcast · 26 Jul 2019 · 54m

What this episode covers

Hackaday editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams discuss the technical realities and hype surrounding Neuralink's brain-computer interface, analyzing the gap between their surgical robot demo and actual neuroscience. They also cover the 40th anniversary of the Sony Walkman, arguing that its success was driven by the design of its headphones rather than the player itself. The episode highlights several hardware hacks, including synthesizing 7400-series logic from Verilog, a subtractive 3D printing process using MDF, and a rotary phone hack that controls web browsers.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 08m

    The Same Wavelength

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the limitations of current brain-computer interfaces like Neuralink, contrasting them with the James Webb Space Telescope's beryllium mirrors and micro-positioners. They analyze the global supply chain crisis, highlighting Shenzhen's dominance in electronics assembly and the strategic shift in semiconductor manufacturing. The conversation also covers the backlash against Dymo's DRM-enabled label printers, the socioeconomic impacts of trucking technology, and the reverse engineering of Tesla key fobs using tools like Ghidra and ChipWhisperer.

  • EE Times Current · 43m

    Intel’s Hamster | Conferences To Go | Apollo 13 in Real Time

    Intel researcher Junko Yoshida explains the company's neuromorphic Loihi chip system, scaled to 768 chips and 100 million neurons (comparable to a naked mole rat), which uses spiking neural networks for low-power edge computing. Amir Sherman of Arrow Electronics discusses 'Embedded to Go,' a virtual conference featuring partners like STM and ON Semiconductor, offering free development boards to attendees. Ben Feist, creator of the 'Apollo 13 in Real Time' website, details how he synchronized historical NASA audio and video to recreate the mission's timeline, highlighting the engineering rigor of the flight controllers.

  • The Next Byte Podcast · 20m

    11. Neuralink, Airspeeder: The Flying Car, Carbon Footprint & Computer Chips

    Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss Neuralink's robotic brain implant technology, Alauda's electric flying race car (Airspeeder), and a Harvard/Facebook study on the carbon footprint of computer chip manufacturing. They analyze Neuralink's 1024-channel device and fully robotic surgery, the Airspeeder Mark 3's modular battery swapping and collision avoidance systems, and the finding that hardware manufacturing emissions outweigh usage emissions.

  • Go/No-Go · 41m

    Paradromics CEO Matt Angle on building the highest data rate brain-computer interface, hermetic sealing vs. Neuralink, and what makes BCIs last a decade in the body.

    Matt Angle, CEO of Paradromics, explains the engineering behind the Connexus brain-computer interface, which achieves over 200 bits per second and is designed to last more than a decade in the body. He contrasts Paradromics' hermetic sealing and modular battery design with Neuralink's approach, emphasizing durability over planned obsolescence. The conversation details the manufacturing challenges of micro-scale assembly, the use of CT scanning for quality control, and the company's pivotal decision to win a DARPA contract against major university consortia.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 27m

    An interview with Greg and Tim of Backyard Brains - Boethetic Bug Brainwaves

    Greg Gage and Tim Marzullo of Backyard Brains explain how they democratize neural engineering by creating low-cost, educational electronics like the SpikerBox and RoboRoach to record and stimulate biological signals. They detail the analog signal chain used to amplify neuron spikes, the physics of ion-based neural firing, and their work with invertebrates like cockroaches and plants. The conversation covers their transition from academic research to a scalable business model, highlighting the 'Human-Human Interface' and the logistical challenges of sourcing components in Chile.

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