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Musk kills monkeys in failed brain experiments

by on14 February 2022


'Neuralink' killed 15 Monkeys Out Of 23 claims animal rights group

Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain implants aim to put a chip in the human brain for us to control things with our mind killed 15 out of 23 of the monkeys where it was installed.

Neuralink is planning human trials later this year.

According to Business Insider out of the total 23 monkeys that were implanted with the Neuralink Chip during testing at the University of California Davis between 2017 and 2020, at least 15 of them died.

Unfortunately, the source of the story is the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which is an animal rights group which will no doubt be discredited on that basis.

Apparently, though the Physicians Committee viewed over 700 pages of documents, veterinary records, and necropsy reports via public records at the University.

“Pretty much every single monkey that had had implants put in their head suffered from pretty debilitating health effects," PCRMs research advocacy director Jeremy Beckham said. “They were, frankly, maiming and killing animals," he said.

According to reports, the Neuralink chips were implanted in monkeys by drilling holes into their skulls, which to be fair is the only way it can be done unless Musk has cracked surgical teleportation.

One primate developed a bloody skin infection and had to be euthanised. Another was discovered with missing fingers and toes, from possible self-mutilation of some other unspecified trauma and “had to be put down," the report said.

Another began uncontrollably vomiting shortly after the surgery and days later appeared to “collapse from exhaustion or fatigue." Autopsy reports say that the animal suffered brain haemorrhage.

The PCRM has filed a complaint with the US Department of Agriculture, accusing University of California Davis and Elon Musk’s Neuralink of nine violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

“Many, if not all, of the monkeys experienced extreme suffering as a result of inadequate animal care and the highly invasive experimental head implants during the experiments, which were performed in pursuit of developing what Neuralink and

Elon Musk has publicly described it as a ‘brain-machine interface," the group was quoted as saying in the complaint.

Neuralink was founded in 2016 with an aim to help people recovering from serious brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. It is also said to cure depression and mental health disorders, apart from connecting humans to the internet.

 

Last modified on 14 February 2022
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