Implant lets people type on virtual keyboards with just brain signals

Rodney Gorham, a 63-year-old Australian, has always been a music fan. In a recent WhatsApp conversation with New Scientist, he shared his thoughts on his most memorable live event – “AC/DC in their prime”. But more remarkable than that concert is the implant that allows Gorham to communicate even though he has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which has paralysed much of his body and left him unable to speak.

The race to commercialise brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) is gathering pace, and one company – Synchron – is leading …