Synchron, another BCI company, is currently testing its devices in trials in North America and Australia. Shanghai-based Neuracle has been trialing a BCI since November 2024, and it recently obtained approval for the device to be used outside of clinical trials. Precision Neuroscience, cofounded by a former co-creator of rival Neuralink, is also trialing its BCI, which sits on the surface of the brain.
At the same time, academic research has continued. The UC Davis team that worked with Harrell is part of BrainGate—a BCI research effort that has been running for the past two decades. Other academic teams are exploring a variety of devices, from the fully implanted to the minimally invasive.
Since 2024, when Patrick-Krueger’s paper was published, the number of people who have been implanted with a brain electrode has more than doubled, according to Vansteensel. “My current estimation would be around 150 people,” she says.
The technology is improving too. Take the BrainGate trial, for example. The first 17 years of that trial focused on the use of what researchers call “point-and-click” communication—allowing users to control a cursor and “click” with their brain activity. But in recent years the team has pivoted toward decoding speech, says David Brandman, the lead investigator on the team (and the person who implanted Harrell’s electrodes). Today, Harrell’s device uses a voice clone—the speech it produces is based on previous recordings of Harrell’s voice.
But BCIs are still experimental. And plenty of questions remain about who might benefit from them—and how long the devices will last. So far, most BCIs have been implanted in people with spinal cord injuries. We know even less about how they might benefit other people who have ALS, for example. In some cases where the devices initially helped people with ALS—even someone who was completely locked in—the BCIs eventually stopped working. And scientists don’t really know why.
The only way they’ll find out is through more research—and the participation of volunteers like Harrell. So it’s exciting to see trials truly take off. And I promise I’ll update you on where they stand two years from now.
This article first appeared in The Checkup, MIT Technology Review’s weekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, and read articles like this first, sign up here.
When Encanto was released, it was something of a cultural phenomenon. You couldn’t escape the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” and the soundtrack went to the top of the charts. If you loved Encanto, there’s another overlooked Lin-Manuel Miranda animated musical on Netflix that’s better in many ways.
Vivo is another Lin-Manuel Miranda musical
He’s also the voice of the lead character
Credit: Sony Pictures Animation
Vivo is a 2021 animated musical comedy from Sony Pictures Animation, the same studio behind smash-hit movies such as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and KPop Demon Hunters. Directed by Kirk DeMicco, who co-wrote it with Quiara Alegría Hudes, it features original songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the musical genius who shot to superstardom on the back of Hamilton.
Miranda also plays the title character of Vivo, a kinkajou (a small, nocturnal mammal) whose days are spent earning money by playing music in the plaza with his aging owner, Andrés. When Andrés dies, Vivo makes it his mission to deliver a song that Andrés wrote to his old friend Marta Sandoval, a famous singer played by Gloria Estefan. The song reveals Andrés’ true feelings for Marta, but he could never bring himself to give it to her.
Vivo is helped on his quest by Gabi, a young misfit and the daughter of Andrés’ niece. The movie follows their journey through the Florida Everglades to reach Miami and deliver the song.
Why Vivo flew under the radar
The big theatrical release never happened
Credit: Sony Pictures Animation
Vivo is an animated musical from a major animation studio, with a cast of big names including Miranda, Gloria Estefan, and Zoe Saldaña. It features music from one of the most in-demand songwriters in the world, who also stars in it. Why isn’t it more well-known?
Perhaps the biggest reason is that Vivo never got its expected theatrical release. After the global pandemic disrupted Sony’s plans for a wide theatrical release, the rights were sold to Netflix. Instead of a major theatrical run, it joined the huge catalog of Netflix, where shows and movies all too often get buried by the churn of new content.
It meant that, unlike Encanto, Vivo never really got the chance to enter the zeitgeist or become a TikTok staple. Its fairly quiet release on a streaming service meant that it never got the attention that it deserved.
Subscription with ads
Yes, $8/month
Simultaneous streams
Two or four
Stream licensed and original programming with a monthly Netflix subscription.
Vivo’s music hits different
Gloria Estefan still has it
When Encanto came out, people raved about the music. The song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” went viral, with an endless stream of TikTok videos. To my mind, however, the music in Vivo is just so much better.
I never really got the hype about “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” It’s not bad, but it’s not even the best song in Encanto. While the music in Encanto is good, none of the songs really stand out as being classics. I listen to a lot of Disney movie soundtracks with my kids, and Encanto very rarely makes the playlist, while Moana, which also includes songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, gets played far more often.
I’m sorry, Toy Story, but a new winner has entered the chat
What gets played a lot is the Vivo soundtrack because it’s genuinely brilliant. There’s something for everyone, too; there are four of us in the family, and each of us has a different favorite song from the soundtrack. That’s how good it is.
“One of a Kind” is the song that introduces us to Vivo and Andrés, and it’s a great mix of classic Cuban mambo and clave rhythms combined with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s trademark hip-hop flow. “My Own Drum” is an absolute banger sung by Gabi featuring possibly the greatest recorder solo of all time. My personal favorite, “Keep The Beat,” is a gorgeous song about keeping going when things start to change.
The most beautiful song in the movie is “Inside Your Heart,” performed by the legendary Gloria Estefan. This is the song that Andrés wrote for Marta, expressing his feelings for her. It’s a stunning song, and Estefan’s voice still sounds incredible. For me, it lands far harder than anything in Encanto.
What Vivo offers that Encanto doesn’t
There’s more than just the awesome music
Credit: Sony Pictures Animation
While both movies have music written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, only one of them features the songwriter in the main cast. Some of the fast-paced rhymes in Vivo are so distinctive that you can’t imagine anyone else doing them justice, as Dwayne Johnson proved in Moana.
Vivo also has a more dynamic story, with the action involving a race from Cuba to Miami rather than being set entirely within one location like Encanto. It also includes some interesting stylized 2D sequences that mix up the look of the movie. The emotional stakes are also much higher in Vivo, with a story that touches on death, regret, lost love, and finding your place in the world.
That’s not to say it’s a perfect movie. The plot does dip a little in the middle, but the stunning music and bittersweet ending make up for the flaws.
Are you a parent tired of watching awful kids’ shows? Give yourself a break with these Netflix series that will entertain both you and your children.
Check out Vivo if you haven’t already
If you loved Encanto and you haven’t watched Vivo, you should definitely check it out. It’s a movie that really deserves more attention than it gets. I guarantee it will be the best kinkajou-based animated musical you’ll ever see.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
