Elon Musk’s controversial Neuralink brain chip sparks mockery after getting approval

Elon Musk’s brain-implant company Neuralink has been given the green light from the FDA to begin its first in-human clinical study, after previously having their application rejected.

Musk has predicated that his brain implant would be used to trial treatments for conditions such as paralysis and blindness.

The initial application for FDA clearance was originally rejected after major issues such as the possibility of the implant’s wires migrating within the brain and the challenge of not damaging brain tissue whilst safely extracting the device.

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US lawmakers are asking regulators to investigate whether the panel overseeing animal testing at Neuralink contributed to botched and rushed experiments. Last year Musk’s company was federally investigated for potential violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

Reuters previously reported that the company has killed roughly 1,500 animals.

Since Musk’s takeover of Twitter last year he has increasingly become the butt of jokes as a result of his increased recognition and poor decisions in regards to the social media app.

The announcement from his company Neuralink has been no different, with many making jokes as well as concerned comments about the announcement.

Some have accused the company of supporting eugenics after Musk previously said that the device would "solve a lot of brain-related diseases’ naming autism as one of those ‘diseases’".

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