The futuristic new tech that could bridge broken nerves and mend minds

Ian Burkhart was on holiday with friends in 2010 when his life changed forever. He dived into shallow water and broke his neck, leaving him paralysed from the shoulders down at the age of 19. "At that point, I was getting assistance with everything," he says, "even being able to scratch an itch on my forehead." A few years later, Burkhart got an experimental brain implant that rerouted nerve impulses around his broken spinal cord to the muscles of his arm. It took time, but eventually he was able to use his hands and arms again – and even play the video game Guitar Hero.