‘Space Hacking’ – How to Open Up Citizen Science and Get Us to Space – with Ariel Waldman

Astronauts all know how important it is to stay healthy in space. Weightlessness alone can cause a number of physiological changes including muscle atrophy, loss of blood volume and bone loss. Most astronauts complete medical training which equips them with the skills to perform procedures such as first aid and basic surgery. But what happens if there's an emergency and no medical expert to assist?

Ariel Garten is the founder of InteraXon, the neurofeedback company that developed the well-known Muse headband, one of the first "non-invasive" brain-machine interface headbands on the market. Garten talks about why the Muse headband is focused on helping users calm their minds, gain clarity and focus, and on what other non-invasive BMI technologies may allow for in the coming five to 10 years.

Whether it's literature, science fiction movies or other forms of art, can the visions of a possible future actually help to mold or influence actual future outcomes? According to Ariel Waldman, people do look to fiction as a means of stimulating change.

Brown's BrainGate project is hailed as one of the premier research projects in the entire field of brain-machine interface. Researchers here have given paralyzed patients the ability to move robotic arms and check emails with their thoughts alone, thanks to experimental neural implants in their motor cortex. Dr. Beata Jarosiewicz has been with BrainGate project for years, with a specific focus on interpreting neurological signals and turning them into actionable outputs.
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In this episode, we interview Brad Burge, marketing and communications director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).