Skip to content
Surprising Science

Neural Electronics

Scientists have created an ultrathin, flexible, electronic implant that essentially melts into place on the brain’s surface, and may pave the way for a new generation of medical devices.
Sign up for the Smarter Faster newsletter
A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Scientists have created an ultrathin, flexible, electronic implant that essentially melts into place on the brain’s surface. The new technology could help in the development of new devices for monitoring and controlling seizures, and for transmitting signals from the brain past damaged parts of the spinal cord. The implants, which are made partly from silk, have been shown to record brain activity better than the current, thicker implants embedded with similar electronic systems.

Sign up for the Smarter Faster newsletter
A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Related

Up Next
“Hummers are stupid and wasteful and if they go away because no one wants to buy one, that’ll be just a little sad,” writes Penn Jillette. “It’s always a little sad to lose some stupid.”