The number of people with electrodes in their brains is believed to have more than doubled in the last couple of years. This week, I covered the story of Casey Harrell, a man with ALS who is 'the first power user' of a brain implant according to his researchers. Harrell is paralyzed and unable to speak coherently without the device. He has now spent almost three years using a brain-computer interface (BCI) that enables him to 'speak', surf the web, and perform his job as a climate activist, largely independently.

Since Harrell was implanted with the device in July 2023, a team at the University of California, Davis, has worked with him to adjust and improve its offerings. They've refined its accuracy and introduced settings including a privacy mode and a 'profanity filter' that lets Harrell talk to his daughter without risking accidental swearing.

The team that developed his BCI is one of several working on ways to use technology to allow people with paralysis to communicate, engage with the online world, and regain some independence. And Harrell is one of a growing number of people volunteering their brains to 'pay it forward' and do scientific research.