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Elon Musk’s Neuralink targets human trials for brain-machine interface in 2020
After operating in stealth mode for the past two years, Neuralink, the brain-machine interface startup co-founded by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has revealed some of the innovations that it has been developing. The company also announced that it is aiming to start implanting devices in humans by 2020, starting with paralyzed individuals who could then control phones or computers through their brain-machine implants.
Neuralink focused on two innovations on Tuesday’s presentation. The first involved flexible “threads” that are incredibly thin, measuring between 4 and 6 μm or about 1/3 the diameter of human hair. These threads are capable of transferring high volumes of data, with a white paper published by the company hinting at “as many as 3,072 electrodes per array distributed across 96 threads.” With the threads being incredibly thin, they would not damage the brain.
Another key technology revealed by Neuralink on its recent presentation was a custom made robot designed to embed implants into the brain. Thanks to computer vision and lenses, the robot will be able to place implants on patients without hitting or damaging blood vessels, reducing damage to the brain and scar tissue. Neuralink researcher Philip Sabes noted that “because these things are so thin and flexible, the idea is that they move with the tissue instead of tearing the tissue.”
Neuralink has performed at least 19 surgeries on animals with its robots, and so far, the machines have successfully placed the threads about 87% of the time. One of these subjects, a rather hefty rat that was shown off to the press, was fitted with a wired prototype of the company’s brain-machine interface. During the press demo, Sabes mentioned that the amount of data gathered from the rodent was about ten times greater than what is possible with today’s sensors.
In his presentation, Elon Musk stated that the evolution of Neuralink’s tech would be gradual, though he did mention that the company’s goal is a form of “symbiosis” with technology. “It’s not going to be suddenly Neuralink will have this neural lace and start taking over people’s brains. This is going to sound pretty weird, but ultimately, we will achieve symbiosis with artificial intelligence. This is not a mandatory thing. It is a thing you can choose to have if you want. This is something that I think will be really important on a civilization-level scale,” he remarked.
While the technologies shared by Neuralink on Tuesday seemed borderline science fiction, Neuralink president Max Hodak noted that similar innovations have actually been introduced and implemented in the past. “Neuralink didn’t come out of nowhere; there’s a long history of academic research here. We’re, in the greatest sense, building on the shoulders of giants,” he said. Nevertheless, Neuralink’s goal of directly reading neural spikes in a minimally-intrusive way remains notably ambitious.
The potential for such technologies is enormous. Implants such as BrainGate, which was developed initially at Brown University, were used in cases such as those of Matthew Nagle, who suffered from a spinal cord injury. Back in 2006, Nagle was able to learn how to use a computer using brain implants, at one point even playing Pong with his mind. In its presentation, Neuralink noted that its brain implants could be used for several individuals afflicted by Parkinson’s Disease, Dystonia, Epilepsy, OCD, Depression, Chronic Pain, and Tinnitus, among many.
Yet, despite its impressive innovations and its lofty goals, it should be noted that Neuralink is still a long way from achieving its targets. Dr. Matthew MacDougall, head surgeon at Neuralink, mentioned this while discussing how Neuralink implants could be as seamless as Lasik in the future. “There is a whole FDA process we have to go though. We haven’t done that yet,” he said.
So why the presentation? As noted by Elon Musk, Tuesday’s event is, at its core, an invitation for interested individuals who would like to work on the innovations that Neuralink is pursuing. With this open invitation, it would not be surprising if the company attracts an impressive number of talent in the near future. But now it’s time for you to vote. Will you be open to getting a brain-machine interface implant from Neuralink in the future?
The Tesla Model X has always been one of the company’s most loved vehicles, despite its low sales figures, which can be attributed to its high price tag.
However, the Model X has been a signature item on Tesla’s menu of cars, most notably recognized by its Falcon Wing Doors, which are aware of its surroundings and open according to what’s around it.
But recent improvements to the Model X were looking slim to none, but it appears most of the fixes actually happened under the body, at least according to Tesla’s Vice President of Powertrain, Lars Moravy.
In a recent interview with Car and Driver, Moravy detailed all of the changes to the 2026 iteration of the vehicle, which was about 400 pounds lighter than it was originally. The biggest change is a modification with the rear motor, switching from an induction-type motor to a permanent-magnet design and optimizing the half-shafts, which shed about 100 pounds.
Tesla also got “almost 80 pounds out of the interior bits and pieces,” which “included making parts thinner, different manufacturing process choices, and incorporating airbag-deployment requirements into the headliner fabric,” the report said.
Additionally, the standard five-passenger, bench seat configuration saved 50 pounds by ditching pedestal mounting. This also helped with practicality, as it helped the seat fold flat. Engineers at Tesla also saved 44 pounds from the high-voltage wiring through optimizing the wiring from the charge-port DC/DC converter and switching from copper to aluminum wiring.
Tesla makes a decision on the future of its flagship Model S and Model X
Tesla also simplified the cooling system by reducing the number of radiators. It also incorporated Nürburgring cooling requirements for the Plaid variant, which saved nearly 30 pounds.
Many Tesla fans will be familiar with the megacastings, manufactured in-house by presses from IDRA, which also saves more than 20 pounds and boosts torsional stiffness by around 10 percent. Tweaks to the suspension also saved 10 pounds.
People were truly disappointed with what Tesla did with the Model S and Model X, arguing that the cars needed a more severe exterior overhaul, which might be true. However, Tesla really did a lot to reduce the weight of the vehicle, which helps increase range and efficiency. According to Grok, every 200 pounds removed adds between 7 and 15 percent to range estimations.
This makes sense considering the range estimations both increased by 7 percent from the Model X’s 2025 configuration to the 2026 builds. Range increased on the All-Wheel-Drive trim from 329 miles to 352 miles, while the Plaid went from 314 miles to 335 miles.
Tesla has officially launched its first branded Supercharger just months after initiating a new program that allows third-party companies to brand their own charging piles.
The site opened in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, and features eight V4 Supercharging stalls offering up to 325 kW of charging speed. It appears it was purchased by a company called Suncoast Credit Union. This particular branch is located Northeast of Tampa, which is on the Gulf of Mexico.
It features graphics of Florida animals, like alligators:
Here’s a video of the graphics being installed on the Tesla Superchargers at this site: https://t.co/oIfEPNZjAH pic.twitter.com/ENWakZ2qT9
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 20, 2025
Tesla launched this program back in September, and it basically was a way to expand its Supercharger presence and also allow companies to pay for the infrastructure. Tesla maintains it. When it announced the “Supercharger for Business,” it said:
“Purchase and install Superchargers at your business. Superchargers are compatible with all electric vehicles, bringing EV drivers to your business by offering convenient, reliable charging.”
The program does a few things. Initially, it expands EV charging infrastructure and makes charging solutions more readily available for drivers. It can also attract people to those businesses specifically.
Tesla launches new Supercharger program that business owners will love
The chargers can also be branded with any logo that the business chooses, which makes them more personalized and also acts as an advertisement.
The best part is that the customers do not have to maintain anything about the Supercharger. Tesla still takes care of it and resolves any issues:
“We treat your site like we treat our sites. By providing you with a full-service package that includes network operations, preventative maintenance, and driver support, we’re able to guarantee 97% uptime–the highest in the industry.”
It appears the Superchargers will also appear within the in-car nav during routing, so they’ll be publicly available to anyone who needs to use them. They are still available to all EVs that have worked with Tesla to utilize its infrastructure, and they are not restricted to people who are only visiting the business.
Tesla has revealed its Cybertruck light bar installation fix after a recall exposed a serious issue with the accessory.
Tesla and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated a recall of 6,197 Cybertrucks back in October to resolve an issue with the Cybertruck light bar accessory. It was an issue with the adhesive that was provided by a Romanian company called Hella Romania S.R.L.
Tesla recalls 6,197 Cybertrucks for light bar adhesive issue
The issue was with the primer quality, as the recall report from the NHTSA had stated the light bar had “inadvertently attached to the windshield using the incorrect surface primer.”
Instead of trying to adhere the light bar to the Cybertruck with an adhesive, Tesla is now going to attach it with a bracketing system, which will physically mount it to the vehicle instead of relying on adhesive strips or glue.
Tesla outlines this in its new Service Bulletin, labeled SB-25-90-001, (spotted by Not a Tesla App) where it shows the light bar will be remounted more securely:
The entire process will take a few hours, but it can be completed by the Mobile Service techs, so if you have a Cybertruck that needs a light bar adjustment, it can be done without taking the vehicle to the Service Center for repair.
However, the repair will only happen if there is no delamination or damage present; then Tesla could “retrofit the service-installed optional off-road light bar accessory with a positive mechanical attachment.”
The company said it would repair the light bar at no charge to customers. The light bar issue was one that did not result in any accidents or injuries, according to the NHTSA’s report.
This was the third recall on Cybertruck this year, as one was highlighted in March for exterior trim panels detaching during operation. Another had to do with front parking lights being too bright, which was fixed with an Over-the-Air update last month.
Tesla Model X lost 400 pounds thanks to these changes
Tesla launches its new branded Supercharger for Business with first active station
