Game without end

It is just over a week since Elon Musk’s company Neuralink livestreamed an interview with Noland Arbaugh, who was paralysed from the shoulders down in a diving accident eight years ago. Following the implanting by Neuralink of a chip in his brain, he is now able to control a mouse cursor on the screen by thought alone. The 29-year-old described his joy in being able to stay up all night playing the computer game Civilization VI, for which he would previously have needed human support. (As a former Civ fanatic, I know how fast those hours go by!)

Noland showed off his new ability by playing a game of online chess as he chatted. It was the perfect way to demonstrate the technology’s potential to enrich his life. And it was cheering to reflect on the game’s resonance, with countless instances of the game being deployed, in one form or another, to showcase some novel technology.