LibGuides: Ethics of Brain Chips (Such as Neuralink) : Home

Research Topic

Ethics of Brain Chips and Musk's Neuralink

Use the resources below to explore your topic. In addition to resources specific to this technology, I have included information about bio and technology etthics.

This research is fairly new, so the article databases may be your best source of information.

Finding the best key terms will be an important part of this research. Business, the general public, scientists, and medical researchers all use different terms to describe this technology (or similar technology). Read articles to collect key terms, and try a variety when conducting a search online or in a database. Some other terms to describe brain chips or related science may include:

Neuroprosthetics
Neurochips
Transhumanism

When doing research about controversial topics, keep the following things in mind:

Who is responsible for the information in your source?
- If you cannot verify the credibility of the author (author is unknown, you are unsure if it is a reliable source, wikipedia, social media, etc), Verify the information elsewhere.
- You can also verify whether or not a source is credible with a quick Google search. Search the name of the author and / or the site to help ensure credibility or potentially spot concerns.
You do not have to avoid bias, but you should be aware of it.
- You may find very credible and useful information in bias sources.
- HOWEVER, this is only from one point of view. Search elsewhere for more balance in your perspectives.
When was the information published?
- The currency need for your research depends on your topic.
- Research about issues that are currently unfolding, may need to be very current to be relevant. Sometimes sources from 6 months ago or even 1 month ago may be out of date.
- But for other sources, information from a few years ago may still be good.
- Pay close attention to the publication dates when considering your resources.

Article Databases

Article databases house a collection of resources from many different outside sources, such as academic journals, scientific research, newspapers, and magazines.

A search in an article database is much more similar to a typical search engine (like Google), except the results are from a curated list of credible sources.

When you search in a database such as Gale or JSTOR, you are searching through articles published as late as that day from newspapers or magazines. Therefore, these are great resources when researching newly emerging topics. I recommend that you start here.

Article Databases

Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context

Explore issues and controversies in modern society from a variety of viewpoints and sources.

Gale Global Issues in Context

Curated resources related to issues and controversies around the world.

JSTOR from Boston Public Library

JSTOR is a scholarly journal database with great resources for academic research. You must have Boston Public Library eCard for JSTOR. Get the eCard here: bit.ly/bpltutorials

Gale Power Search

Search all Gale databases.

Gale Psychology

Curated resources related to the study of psychology.

Gale Science in Context

Curated resources in the field of science.

Additional Resources

Resources beyond databases

There are many online resources you can find about this topic as well. There are a number of news articles about Musk and Neuralink, but there are some other interesting places to look as well.

Some considerations when searching online:

Look for articles from scientific journals or magazines that report on science news
Consider organizations that publish public polls
Use a variety of key terms, researchers, businesses, and the general public all have different terms to describe this technology. Try them all (see the recommendations at the top of this page.

To view some that I have found, look at the collection of links to the right of this box.

Encylopedia Databases

Encyclopedia Databases

Encyclopedia Databases is a collection of articles written specifically for use in this database. The organization is clear and it is fairly straightforward to navigate topics and find specific information.

These databases are usually a great place to get started with your research, as you do not need a great deal of background information to conduct a search, and it help you build a foundation of understanding about the topic.

However, when you are researching a newly emerging topic, these sources may not be as up to date. They may be more useful for more general information related to your topic, such as about technology or ethics.

Encyclopedia Databases

Additional Resource Links

Embracing Your Inner Cyborg
This is an article from JSTOR Daily. JSTOR is a prominent academic database. JSTOR Daily is their magazine that references the academic research.
Neurochips: Considerations from a neurosurgeon’s standpoint
This is an article from a neurosurgeon written for others in her field. It is available on PubMed, which is a database for medical research, and may be useful for additional research.
AI and Human Enhancement: Americans’ Openness Is Tempered by a Range of Concerns
This is an article from the Pew Research Center. They conduct and report on public polls. This is not their only article on this topic.
Scientists Work to Perfect a Brain Implant That Senses & Treats Pain
This is a short article but includes and interesting discussion about this topic.
This Mighty Brain Chip Is So Efficient It Could Bring Advanced AI to Your Phone
This article is from Singularity Hub which reports on technological innovations. The author was a neuroscientist and now a science writer.
New Brain Implant Turns Visualized Letters into Text
Scientific American is another strong resource for cutting edge reporting about topics related to science. The description of this article reads: "The technology lets people with paralysis perform thought dictation at rates approaching the thumb speeds of texters"