Moonshots EP 171: Ex-Neuralink Founder — AI Enhanced Bodies Are Nearly Here

Summary

A live interview between Diamandis and Max Hodak, co-founder and former president of Neuralink (4.5 years), now founder of Science Corp. The episode is structured around two products: the near-term revenue engine (Prima retinal prosthesis) and the moonshot (biological brain-computer interface). Prima is a chip implanted in the back of the eye for macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa patients — each honeycomb structure acts as a solar cell, excited by a laser projector in glasses, stimulating remaining retinal cells. Clinical trial completed with 38 European patients; it is the first time blind patients have been able to read again. Targeting EU marketing approval submission within a month, US (FDA) early next year, at roughly $200K/patient with Medicare reimbursement precedent, potentially a $500M-$1B annual market. The BCI section is the real payload. Hodak frames bandwidth as the key metric: spoken language is ~40 bits/second, human attention processes at ~10 bits/second, Neuralink achieves ~7 bits/second, blood vessel stents get 0.5 bits/second. Science Corp’s approach is radically different: instead of placing electrodes (which destroy thousands of cells), they load engineered hypoimmunogenic stem cell-derived neurons into a hydrogel on an electronic chip, then engraft the wet side into the brain. The biological processes grow in around blood vessels without destroying tissue, forming ~1 billion synapses across huge cortical areas from a 100,000-electrode device with a million neurons. They use optical stimulation and electrical recording to avoid crosstalk. Mouse results shown with green-labeled graft neurons integrating throughout host tissue. Primate engraftments expected within months. Hodak’s timeline to humans accelerated from 4-5 years to potentially much faster via a collaboration, likely for stroke patients first. The speculative discussion covers brain-to-brain merging (citing the Hogan twins in Canada who share consciousness across four hemispheres), longevity through gradual neural replacement (turning death into “a stroke you recover from”), and meta-intelligence where millions connect through the cloud.

Key Segments

• [00:00-06:00] Prima retinal prosthesis: technology, clinical trial results, regulatory timeline, market sizing
• [06:00-18:00] BCI bandwidth comparison, limitations of current approaches (Neuralink electrode damage), Science Corp’s biological neural interface approach
• [18:00-23:00] Mouse results, convergence technologies enabling this (CRISPR, hypoimmunogenic cells, silicon carbide materials, smartphone dividend)
• [23:00-28:00] Speculative applications: brain-to-brain merging, consciousness binding, longevity through neural replacement, meta-intelligence

Notable Claims

• Spoken language: ~40 bits/second across all human languages; Neuralink achieves ~7 bits/second; human attention: ~10 bits/second
• Every Neuralink-style electrode placement destroys thousands of brain cells, fundamentally limiting scalability
• Science Corp’s approach: 100,000 electrodes, 1 million neurons, ~1 billion synapses — orders of magnitude beyond Neuralink’s 1,000 electrodes
• Primate engraftments within months; human trials (stroke patients) potentially much sooner than the previously estimated 4-5 years
• Hodak sees brain-to-brain connection as an alternative longevity path, achievable within the next decade

Bias/Sponsor Notes

Hodak is presenting his own company’s technology favorably against Neuralink (his former employer). He is careful with regulatory language around Prima approval status. Diamandis frames the interview enthusiastically as validating Ray Kurzweil’s 2033 high-bandwidth BCI prediction. This is a live summit interview, likely at Abundance Summit, with audience Q&A.