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Neuralink’s first patient pondering ways to support himself and his family
Before he became Neuralink’s first human patient, 30-year-old Noland Arbaugh’s routine was restrictive. A lot of his and his family’s time was spent dealing with hospitals, insurance providers, and caregivers. He was also mostly communicating using a stick held in his mouth, which he uses to poke at an iPad. Since receiving his brain implant from Neuralink in January, Arbaugh’s life has changed, and in a recent social media post, he noted that he is now looking for ways to support himself and his family.
Thanks to his Neuralink implant, Arbaugh is able to manipulate tech devices using his mind. This means that he can now use computers proficiently. He noted as much when he admitted that the first thing he did after getting his Neuralink implant was play Civilization 6 for several hours. Thanks to this newfound proficiency, Arbaugh is also now active on social media platform X, where he recently posted a poll about how he can help provide for himself long-term.
As noted by Arbaugh in his post, he would like to find a way to provide for himself and possibly even help build a house for himself and his family. The Neuralink patient posted a few options on his polls, such as activities that he can now do due to his brain implant, such as streaming. Arbaugh also admitted that he has been quite hesitant to ask such a question, but he wishes to no longer be a burden to those around him.
Hey everyone! I’m in need of some advice. As was briefly touched on in the Bloomberg article today, I would like to find some way to provide for myself long-term, build a house for me and my family if I can, and not be a burden on those around me any longer. Below is a poll of…— Noland Arbaugh (@ModdedQuad) May 17, 2024
“Hey everyone! I’m in need of some advice. As was briefly touched on in the Bloomberg article today, I would like to find some way to provide for myself long-term, build a house for me and my family if I can, and not be a burden on those around me any longer. Below is a poll of just a couple of ideas I have and I’d like to know which y’all think is my best chance. If you have any other suggestions please leave a comment! Honestly, I feel weird even asking. That’s part of the reason why I haven’t done any of these so far. It makes me feel icky. Sorry to even bring this up,” Arbaugh wrote.
The Neuralink patient’s poll attracted quite a lot of attention, including from Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk himself. Arbaugh’s poll included options for monetizing his accounts, streaming, using GoFundMe, or “all of the above.” Similar to other users, Elon Musk advised the Neuralink patient to go for all his options, though the CEO noted that Arbaugh should probably start with monetizing his accounts and streaming first. Other users also advised the Neuralink patient that he can also go speaking tours and other activities since his life is inspiring and unique.
First two first— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 17, 2024
While Arbaugh’s poll is quite simple, its very presence highlights just how life changing Neuralink’s technology is to people. As noted in a Bloomberg News report, Arbaugh had actually attempted to get a job despite his condition in the past, but he has never been successful since he could not type fast enough. Things are a bit different with his Neuralink brain implant, however, so perhaps Arbaugh could achieve his dream of supporting himself and his family this time around.
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News
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.
The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.
The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring.

This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.
The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.
ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.
“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.
“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.
News
Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery.
Tesla Sweden has successfully launched a new Supercharger station despite an ongoing blockade by Swedish unions, using on-site Megapack batteries instead of traditional grid connections. The workaround has allowed the Supercharger to operate without direct access to Sweden’s electricity network, which has been effectively frozen by labor action.
Tesla has experienced notable challenges connecting its new charging stations to Sweden’s power grid due to industrial action led by Seko, a major Swedish trade union, which has blocked all new electrical connections for new Superchargers. On paper, this made the opening of new Supercharger sites almost impossible.
Despite the blockade, Tesla has continued to bring stations online. In Malmö and Södertälje, new Supercharger locations opened after grid operators E.ON and Telge Nät activated the sites. The operators later stated that the connections had been made in error.
More recently, however, Tesla adopted a different strategy altogether. Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery, as noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report.
Because the Supercharger station does not rely on a permanent grid connection, Tesla was able to bypass the blocked application process, as noted by Swedish car journalist and YouTuber Peter Esse. He noted that the Arlandastad Supercharger is likely dependent on nearby companies to recharge the batteries, likely through private arrangements.
Eight new charging stalls have been launched in the Arlandastad site so far, which is a fraction of the originally planned 40 chargers for the location. Still, the fact that Tesla Sweden was able to work around the unions’ efforts once more is impressive, especially since Superchargers are used even by non-Tesla EVs.
Esse noted that Tesla’s Megapack workaround is not as easily replicated in other locations. Arlandastad is unique because neighboring operators already have access to grid power, making it possible for Tesla to source electricity indirectly. Still, Esse noted that the unions’ blockades have not affected sales as much.
“Many want Tesla to lose sales due to the union blockades. But you have to remember that sales are falling from 2024, when Tesla sold a record number of cars in Sweden. That year, the unions also had blockades against Tesla. So for Tesla as a charging operator, it is devastating. But for Tesla as a car company, it does not matter in terms of sales volumes. People charge their cars where there is an opportunity, usually at home,” Esse noted.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s X goes down as users report major outage Friday morning
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Elon Musk’s X experienced an outage Friday morning, leaving large numbers of users unable to access the social media platform.
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Downdetector reports
Users attempting to open X were met with messages such as “Something went wrong. Try reloading,” often followed by an endless spinning icon that prevented access, according to a report from Variety. Downdetector data showed that reports of problems surged rapidly throughout the morning.
As of 10:52 a.m. ET, more than 100,000 users had reported issues with X. The data indicated that 56% of complaints were tied to the mobile app, while 33% were related to the website and roughly 10% cited server connection problems. The disruption appeared to begin around 10:10 a.m. ET, briefly eased around 10:35 a.m., and then returned minutes later.

Previous disruptions
Friday’s outage was not an isolated incident. X has experienced multiple high-profile service interruptions over the past two years. In November, tens of thousands of users reported widespread errors, including “Internal server error / Error code 500” messages. Cloudflare-related error messages were also reported.
In March 2025, the platform endured several brief outages spanning roughly 45 minutes, with more than 21,000 reports in the U.S. and 10,800 in the U.K., according to Downdetector. Earlier disruptions included an outage in August 2024 and impairments to key platform features in July 2023.