Interview
David Eagleman: Neuroplasticity and the Livewired Brain | Lex Fridman Podcast #119
- Human brains are expected to adapt, catch up, and excel as AI and brain-computer interfaces evolve, with the belief that limitations of the human mind are far from being reached.
- Engineering systems are predicted to transition to a "LiveWire" model blending hardware and software, a concept distilled over "10 years" to clarify the principles of plastic systems.
- Brain malleability is anticipated to vary by region and time, with the visual cortex cementing quickly due to data stability while the somatosensory cortex remains plastic due to changing bodily inputs, though the capacity for change persists throughout life.
- "Just-in-time learning" driven by immediate curiosity is expected to produce a generation significantly smarter than the current one compared to "just-in-case learning."
- Artificial neural networks are predicted to evolve beyond simple "units and synapses" within "two years" and "10 years" to achieve greater sophistication.
- Invasive brain-computer interfaces like Neuralink are not expected for consumer use due to surgical risks including death and infection, but are anticipated to succeed as therapeutic tools for conditions like Parkinson's and epilepsy.
- The brain is expected to interpret non-biological signals from devices such as cochlear and retinal implants, learning to process inputs regardless of source.
- A "self-play mechanism" where humans and machines co-adjust is foreseen, allowing brains to adapt to robotic arms while devices learn from human behavior.
- Pandemic-era disruptions are expected to serve as a "silver lining" for plasticity by forcing individuals to abandon routines and create new things constantly.
- Education is predicted to shift toward "canonical videos" featuring top experts as faculty, with "Nobel Prize winning faculty" becoming content creators to maximize student access.
- The legal system is expected to move from uniform incarceration to specialized courts driven by financial constraints and neuroscience insights.
- Neuroscience is projected to increasingly integrate with and potentially replace psychiatry within "50 years" as it assumes control over mental health aspects.
- Artificial intelligence is asserted to never fully replicate human intelligence due to a lack of social context, fear of mortality, and an inability to model the human experience.
- Future robots may require an inherent "yen to survive" and a sense of "relevance" to achieve biological levels of adaptability.
- The company Neosensory aims to enable hearing through skin and expand perception to include new senses such as magnetic fields or Twitter feeds.
- Humans are expected to integrate additional sensory inputs like infrared or ultraviolet radiation into their reality through sensory addition technologies.
- Young people are advised to prioritize adaptability and learning skills, as jobs existing "20 years from now" currently lack names.
- Understanding the neural basis of decision-making, fear, and aspiration is predicted to offer a transcendent experience comparable to or exceeding religious texts.