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Elon Musk's Neuralink brain-computer: Watch 'working' demo replay

The brain-computer startup showed off a 'working' device, in pigs, on Friday. You can rewatch the presser here.

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Jackson Ryan was CNET's science editor, and a multiple award-winning one at that. Earlier, he'd been a scientist, but he realized he wasn't very happy sitting at a lab bench all day. Science writing, he realized, was the best job in the world -- it let him tell stories about space, the planet, climate change and the people working at the frontiers of human knowledge. He also owns a lot of ugly Christmas sweaters.
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Neuralink will show off a "working" device during its Aug. 28 press conference.

Neuralink

Editor's note: The presentation has ended. What did Elon Musk and Neuralink reveal? "A fitbit for your skull," Musk says. You can find out more about the presentation by clicking here. If you just want to rewatch the conference, we have the video below. Our initial story follows.

It's almost time: Neuralink, the startup founded by Elon Musk to try and connect human brains and computers together in "symbiosis," will reveal a "working" device at a progress update this afternoon. We have all the details here and a livestream so you can follow along live. 

Earlier this year Elon Musk , SpaceX and Tesla head (and reportedly fourth richest person on the planet), teased he would be showing off the latest developments from Neuralink, his startup company that aims to connect our brains with PCs. We knew the update was coming in August but now we know when: The update is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 28 at 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET), Musk tweeted on Tuesday. 

During an earlier tease back in February, Musk noted the next version of Neuralink would be "awesome" compared to what was presented during the first Neuralink presser in July 2019. That conference wasn't underwhelming but it showed the Neuralink device has a long way to go before its ready for prime time.

Musk has said a "working device" will be shown off during the Neuralink presser on Friday.

The CNET Highlights YouTube channel has you covered if you're looking to watch and we've embedded the livestream below. It should flicker to life just before the presser starts at 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET).

The central idea is to link the brain up with a computer by installing slender electrodes into the brain. They connect to a wireless pod that sits behind your ear and can communicate with your phone. In 2019, Musk said he hoped to have a device in a human patient by the end of the year, but that future didn't come to be. Initially, it is hoped the device can help people deal with brain and spinal cord injuries or congenital defects.

Musk has routinely said the Neuralink devices could be revolutionary. "Don't want to get too excited, but the potential is truly transformational for restoring brain & motor functions," he tweeted in February. Myriad questions remain, but hopefully we will get a better understanding of the device and how far it has come on Friday.