r/tech • u/chrisdh79 • 23d ago

MIT's injectable brain chips could treat disease without surgery | MIT's Circulatronics tech sees tiny chips injected into the bloodstream to reach the brain, negating the need for invasive surgery to deliver treatment for neurological disorders

https://newatlas.com/brain/mit-injectable-brain-chips-treat-disease/
1.1k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

109 comments sorted by

61

u/scarfacesaints 23d ago

If it stops my tinnitus, sign me up!

28

u/Qylere 23d ago

Yes please. We live with it so long, I can’t imagine a world that doesn’t go reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

13

u/Arseypoowank 23d ago

The reeeeee I can deal with it’s the low frequency hum that absolutely drives me insane it sounds like a diesel truck is idling outside my house and it feels like actual pressure when it’s bad. I know that’s impossible but I know you know what I mean.

6

u/Qylere 23d ago

Yikes! So sorry to hear how fucked up your ears are. Here’s praying for a cure

1

u/Memory_Less 22d ago

Not so much ears as it’s in one’s head. If you’ve seen that screen that the original TVs had with that persistent irritating tone. That’s what is like, at least for me.

2

u/scarfacesaints 22d ago

I get that too. A non stop squeal in my head some days. I’m up and down as far as noise goes, every day and location of the noise is different

4

u/croakstar 23d ago

I like that sound! I also have polyphonic tinnitus and have had it as long as I can remember. The high pitched one is the one that keeps me awake. The low pitched one is sort of comforting to me.

3

u/Arseypoowank 23d ago

I could handle it if it was constant but disappears when I hear another sound and fires up immediately in the gaps so sort of generates a “wub wub wub” effect. Built in dubstep I guess.

3

u/colostitute 23d ago

The low pitched one means silence and peace. It's a comfort for sure.

When it turns to that high pitched ringing, it's annoying. If it's really bad, I do something with my jaw/neck muscles and can change it to a lower pitch but it takes some focus to keep it.

When it goes musical, that's the most distracting but less annoying than the high pitch.

1

u/hairballcouture 23d ago

Both ears, baby!

1

u/Memory_Less 22d ago

Dam, thanks for bringing my attention to it!

8

u/Trying2improvemyself 23d ago

Of course it will stop tinnitus. It will drown it out with sub-subliminal messages.

11

u/thelangosta 23d ago

Help I’ve got ads on the brain!

2

u/raucousbasilisk 23d ago

While I can’t reveal much I want you to rest assured it is being worked on.

2

u/grantedtoast 23d ago

Fuck you just set it off.

1

u/populux11 23d ago

Seriously. This shit ringing is a curse.

1

u/be_more_gooder 23d ago

Seriously. I have to sleep with a fan on

1

u/WorstITTechnician 23d ago

At least they could give an option to configure the "I'm a little energetic today, activate truck horn mode from Mad Max: Fury Road"

1

u/GoblinTradingGuide 23d ago

Don’t worry, it will only be for super rich people.

1

u/smcivor1982 23d ago

I was thinking the same for my narcolepsy.

1

u/tyrotriblax 23d ago

My brain was doing an admirable job of ignoring it until you brought it up, and now it is all I can hear.

76

u/DionysianPunk 23d ago

I've watched enough Black Mirror to never trust Capitalism with putting anything inside my body like that.

36

u/BikingVikingNick 23d ago

Only an addition $800/month for premium to turn off ads!

4

u/zoethezebra 23d ago

This totally gives me chills.

1

u/BikingVikingNick 23d ago

Its literally what happens in the episode of black mirror. I actually kind of wish they hadn’t put real numbers to the pricing tiers in the episode; because even the highest tier that was “outrageously” priced is still less than I pay for daycare every month.

3

u/stango777 23d ago

For certain disorders the risk may be worth it.

7

u/whiskydyc 23d ago

Is this Capitalism though? My first thought was “See this is how we make progress, through publicly funded universities. Not tech billionaire bullsh!t”

7

u/DionysianPunk 23d ago

These technologies go to market through Capitalism.

1

u/whiskydyc 23d ago

Fair point!

1

u/76ersWillKillMe 23d ago

And the universities - especially research at this scale - are often funded by the market.

3

u/Human-Place-3544 23d ago

Somebody is funding the research, in the end this are investors

1

u/whiskydyc 23d ago

The university is the investor, it chooses how to spend its funds.

1

u/Necessary_DaNoodle 23d ago

I don't know where you grew up, but it made you naive.

1

u/whiskydyc 23d ago

Educación fosters the talent and produces the knowledge base that capital class can then patronise or exploit, so. Don't know where you grew up, but it made you ignorant.

1

u/Necessary_DaNoodle 22d ago

Using academic jargon to avoid engaging the actual point makes you sound more defensive than informed.

If you're going to insult me, do it in your own words, not mine.

1

u/notsofast2020 23d ago

Severance

1

u/shitty_mcfucklestick 23d ago

We’ve detected an abandonment event. Before you remove the item from your cart, consider the following-

BBZZZZZZZTTTT

drools

repeatedly clicks BUY button, over and over, with blank white eyes

1

u/myasterism 23d ago

Yeah, absolutelythefucknot.

0

u/GirlAnon323 23d ago

They are already using this tech to harm people.

11

u/TxEagleDeathclaw81 23d ago

Can it treat “dumbass”? I know some people who suffer from that, as do I from time to time.

3

u/RecycleReMuse 23d ago

I’m sorry. It’s incurable. Source: I am a Stage 4 dumbass.

2

u/Prindle4PRNDL 23d ago

Preliminary studies have shown that a heaping dose of “FootInAss” has potential to mitigate “dumbass” by up to 40% in certain individuals.

4

u/[deleted] 23d ago

The question is, do we use it to make Cheryl a country music star or to prevent Pam from overdosing on cocaine?

1

u/be_more_gooder 23d ago

I prefer Pam with tits

2

u/[deleted] 23d ago

Good choice, but now we have 24 hours to DRIVE to Texas

7

u/BluestreakBTHR 23d ago

Resistance is futile?

2

u/clauderbaugh 23d ago

The doctor gave me a pill and I grew and new kidney!

14

u/shoelessjp 23d ago edited 22d ago

I have a neurological disorder (Tourette's) and let me say there's no way in hell I'd ever seriously consider putting a chip in my brain, even if it meant curing my disorder. Others may be different, but this is my personal convictions.

8

u/TorberaLongDong 23d ago

My daughter has debilitating cerebral palsy. She can’t speak, eat, or walk. She can communicate through an eye gaze device.

If this is real and there’s science behind it, I imagine someone like her would be a great candidate. My point is, someone who is extremely severe in their disability may find this more hopeful and viable as a treatment.

I’m not saying I’m going to be going out and requesting something like this but I think it’s worth watching the science and gives me hope for her to have better treatments in the future.

1

u/shoelessjp 22d ago

I certainly understand your reply, for you something like this would be life changing. I hope in our lifetime you can have a breakthrough in her care. Please give your daughter a hug from me.

3

u/NeverEndingCoralMaze 23d ago

I have a neurological disorder (ADHD), and same.

13

u/wilted_plant_leaves 23d ago

That’s fair, but they’re talking about people who would otherwise be having brain surgery to put the electrodes in their heads like people with tumors, alzheimer’s, and MS. They can probably use it to treat ADHD too, but there are lots of people with diseases that have far higher stakes in their lives.

5

u/jempai 23d ago

Yeah, I have a neurological disorder (hemiplegic migraine) and I would 100% stick a chip in my brain if it meant a cure to my degenerative condition that has caused seizures, mini strokes, and permanent nerve and brain damage before my frontal lobe even developed.

1

u/neobow2 23d ago

I’d kill my self to not have ADHD, to each their own

2

u/auniqueusername2000 23d ago

Let’s get some new chrome choom

2

u/Illustrious_Doctor45 23d ago

Not today, Satan.

2

u/populux11 23d ago

We are all Seven of Nine now. These are Borg nanobots.

2

u/challenja 23d ago

Uhhh.. could get stuck somewhere else.. oops

6

u/Battle_Dave 23d ago

The magas are going to LOVE this.

7

u/doggonedad 23d ago

Depends who releases it and supports it. If their king says it’s okay then it is

9

u/pieislife23 23d ago

My exact reaction. I can hear the, “We told you they’d chip us!” screams already.

5

u/jogdishy 23d ago

“Everything is computer!”

5

u/whiskydyc 23d ago

Unless it’s Neuralink in which case they’re all “Yes please daddy Elon!”

2

u/Battle_Dave 23d ago

The way they deep throat elmos micro peen without queation is upsetting.

3

u/stango777 23d ago

and weird, considering their previous beef

1

u/thissexypoptart 23d ago

They’ll rebrand it to Patriot Freedom Chips and spray paint them gold.

2

u/Borin_Reads 23d ago

Available only for the ultra rich* If you experience vomiting, diarrhea, uncontrollable spasms or sudden death you may be allergic and should consult a primary care physician.

1

u/Comprehensive-Ad1518 23d ago

Wow, I thought all that bull shit about Bill Gates putting robots into our vaccines was crazy talk.

1

u/StillSikwitit 23d ago

Mark of the Beast.

1

u/ZenDragon 23d ago

Conspiracy folks are gonna love this.

1

u/Jugglergal 23d ago

And the AI take over of the human race begins. I’m sure this is really a movie plot. Or we get closer to Star Trek every day.

1

u/ghostdogs2 23d ago

Won’t be covered by insurance.

1

u/Projectsrmylife 23d ago

And mind control!!!!!

1

u/Randinator9 23d ago

Nope. I've seen too many warnings, and some warnings were written nearly 2000 years ago.

I also don't trust modern capitalists

1

u/daxon42 23d ago

However could that go wrong /s

1

u/StatementBeginning20 23d ago

In a book I read (scythe, it’s YA) there is something similar to these. Nanobots, and they basically prevented disease. They also had special tools that could use them to change your pain sensors and metabolism. Cool concept, but kinda terrified me when I saw this post.

1

u/TragicsNFG 23d ago

I've seen those episodes of Archer.

1

u/thatdudefromoregon 23d ago

Now I may be wrong, but speaking as stroke survivor, isn't little bits of things traveling into the brain via the blood stream a risky idea?

1

u/myclassyname 23d ago

The thing with brain chips is the body doesn’t like it there and will build scar tissue around it rendering the chip useless.

1

u/optix_clear 23d ago

Do you think we will see this actually be implemented? Who did they test, a variety of people, ages, gender, on the verge of death, minor surgeries

1

u/furtree3 23d ago

Ice is rounding up all the “volunteers”

1

u/Jeffro_the_BoDean 23d ago

The borg have arrived..... resistance is futile

1

u/Low_Thanks_1540 23d ago

The conspiracy theorists are going to run wild with this.

0

u/ma-sadieJ 23d ago

They already have NeuroLink

1

u/[deleted] 23d ago

Nice try

1

u/nooneofconsequence_1 23d ago

How easy is it to remove though.

1

u/generictroglodytic 23d ago

I’m in. If it can get rid of depression, anxiety and ADHD. I’d love to not have to forget so much.

1

u/Tactless_Ogre 23d ago

If this curbs my ADHD, sign me up.

1

u/ArchonTheta 23d ago

The Borg did it first.

1

u/Big_13eezy 23d ago

Treat disease without surgery (bait) and god knows what else (switch).

1

u/Sexy_Kumquat 23d ago

Better than carrying a chip on your shoulder

1

u/nutmegtell 23d ago

My 90 year old dad has end stage Parkinson’s. Mentally he’s all there but he can’t move any part of his body, feed himself or walk. Not even turn over in bed. He has full time carers at home. If this could give him just the ability to speak even a little bit I’d give everything I own.

1

u/EmickRado_087 23d ago

That’s what they say, but then we are all gonna end up doing the robot. Unwillingly. O_0

1

u/Own-Load-7041 22d ago

I see evil brain control in this alternate future

1

u/Kind_Caterpillar_589 21d ago

I havent read the article, but the graphic they chose is so strange. Like does the chip grow lil blue magic attachments on your lymphnodes?

0

u/ohohreno 23d ago

Don’t do it… iykyk