…the billionaire’s neurotechnology startup Neuralink has implanted the first chip into a human brain with “promising” results. The cutting-edge surgery is part of a study looking at whether the implant can safely power a wireless brain-computer interface to help people with quadriplegia (aka the paralysis of all 4 limbs) to control devices with their minds. Thanks to the study, Neuralink is valued at US$5 billion – and like Musk’s other companies, it hasn’t been without controversy… Last year, US authorities found it improperly stored hazardous waste, and employees complained that rushed animal trials caused unnecessary deaths – including monkeys who played computer games using their thoughts. That hasn’t stopped Musk from talking up the company’s prospects, saying: “Imagine if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than a speed typist or auctioneer”. The company plans to perform 11 human surgeries this year, but experts say a widely available brain implant is still years away.