Max Hodak’s new company Science Corp just put computer chips smaller than grains of rice into the retinas of 38 blind patients. Eighty percent of them can read again. Not vague light perception. Actual reading. Two letters at a time, but reading.
This is the first time restoration of reading ability has been definitively shown in blind patients according to Hodak. The technology is called Prima, and it represents something genuinely new in neuroscience even though much of the underlying science isn’t revolutionary.
Time magazine put the technology on its cover. The product works. The business case makes sense. And Science Corp is building it while quietly developing technology they claim could reshape human consciousness itself.
How Prima actually works
The Prima system has three components. First, a computer chip smaller than a grain of rice gets implanted directly into the retina through surgery. Second, camera equipped glasses capture what the person is looking at. Third, a two pound battery pack powers everything.
The camera sends visual information to processors that convert it into signals the retinal chip can understand. The chip then stimulates the remaining functional cells in the retina, bypassing the damaged photoreceptors that caused blindness.
Patients with advanced macular degeneration lose their central vision as photoreceptors die. They can often still see peripherally but the center of their visual field goes dark. Prima restores that central vision by creating artificial photoreceptor signals.
The technology doesn’t give perfect vision. Patients see in relatively low resolution. Reading requires focusing on two letters at a time rather than scanning whole words. But compared to complete blindness, this counts as a miracle.
The clinical trial results that matter
Science Corp ran trials with 38 patients who had advanced macular degeneration causing blindness. Before Prima, these patients couldn’t read at all. After implantation, 80% regained the ability to read fluently, albeit slowly.
That success rate exceeds most medical device trials. Eighty percent efficacy in blind patients represents a massive breakthrough. Previous attempts at retinal implants delivered vague light perception at best.
The key difference is Prima’s approach. Instead of trying to replace the entire visual system, it works with whatever functional retinal cells remain. This requires less invasive intervention and produces better results.
Patients report being able to recognize faces again, navigate independently, and perform daily tasks that blindness had made impossible. The quality of life improvement is substantial even with the technology’s current limitations.
What this reveals about brain computer interfaces
Science Corp represents one approach in the exploding brain computer interface industry. Nearly 700 companies globally now work on BCI technology according to World Economic Forum data. Tech giants are piling in.
Microsoft Research runs a dedicated BCI project now in its seventh year. Apple partnered with Synchron to create protocols letting BCIs control iPhones and iPads. Sam Altman is reportedly helping fund a Neuralink competitor.
China released its “Implementation Plan for Promoting Innovation and Development of the BCI Industry” in August. Beijing targets core technological breakthroughs by 2027 and aims to dominate globally by 2030.
Prima succeeds where others struggled by focusing on a specific, solvable problem rather than trying to read or write general brain signals. Restoring vision in damaged retinas is technically easier than creating entirely new sensory inputs.
The Neuralink connection people keep asking about
Max Hodak co founded Neuralink with Elon Musk before leaving in 2021. Science Corp is what he’s building next. The approach differs dramatically from Neuralink’s invasive brain implants.
Neuralink targets the motor cortex to help paralyzed patients control devices. Their implants require opening the skull and inserting electrode arrays directly into brain tissue. High risk surgery for high reward outcomes.
Prima implants in the retina, which is technically part of the central nervous system but far more accessible than the brain. Retinal surgery is well established. Ophthalmologists perform millions of eye surgeries annually. The risk profile is manageable.
Hodak admits a legitimate criticism of BCI companies is they aren’t doing new neuroscience. The underlying science is decades old. The innovation is engineering these systems to actually work reliably in humans.
What Science Corp proves is you don’t need revolutionary neuroscience to build revolutionary products. You need practical engineering that solves real problems with existing knowledge.
Why vision restoration is the perfect entry point
Blindness affects millions. The market is substantial. Patients are desperate. Insurance companies will pay for treatments that restore independence and reduce long term care costs.
Prima also benefits from clear success metrics. Either patients can see better or they can’t. Reading ability is measurable. Face recognition is verifiable. This makes clinical trials straightforward compared to more subjective outcomes.
The retina offers another advantage: it’s a well mapped system. Neuroscientists understand retinal cell types, signal pathways, and information processing better than most brain regions. That knowledge translates directly into better device design.
Vision loss also tends to leave other retinal cells functional. Prima exploits this. Rather than replacing the entire visual system, it augments what remains. This is medically easier and produces superior results.
The bigger ambitions nobody discusses publicly
Science Corp is using Prima as the commercial foundation to fund research into consciousness alteration technology. Hodak mentions this carefully, without specifics that would sound insane.
The company’s long term goal apparently involves technology that could reshape human consciousness. What that means concretely remains unclear. But Prima generates revenue and proves Science Corp can build working neurotechnology products.
This is the smart play. Brain computer interfaces need commercial success to fund research into weirder applications. You can’t raise billions to “alter consciousness” without proven products generating actual revenue.
Prima also builds expertise. Every implant teaches Science Corp more about safely interfacing electronics with neural tissue. Those lessons apply to more ambitious projects later.
The regulatory pathway that actually exists
Medical device approval in the US requires proving safety and efficacy through clinical trials. Vision restoration devices have established regulatory pathways. The FDA knows how to evaluate them.
This gives Science Corp a massive advantage over companies pursuing less defined applications. Neuralink’s brain implants face more regulatory uncertainty. Consciousness alteration tech would face even more scrutiny.
Prima fits existing frameworks. Ophthalmologists understand it. Insurance companies can price it. Regulators have precedents. The path from clinical trials to commercial availability is relatively straightforward.
Science Corp completed trials demonstrating safety and efficacy. The device doesn’t cause infections, rejections, or serious complications at meaningful rates. Eighty percent of patients benefit measurably. That’s enough for regulatory approval in most jurisdictions.
What the two pound battery reveals
Prima currently requires patients to carry a two pound battery pack. That’s acceptable for a first generation product but obviously needs improvement.
Battery technology limits many medical devices. Pacemakers, cochlear implants, and other neural interfaces all face power constraints. As batteries improve, devices get smaller and more practical.
Science Corp will eventually shrink or eliminate the external battery. Wireless power transfer, more efficient chips, and better batteries will enable fully contained systems. But the two pound pack proves the concept works right now.
This matters because medical device development moves slowly. Companies can’t wait for perfect technology. They ship working products, gather real world data, and iterate. Prima’s battery situation is imperfect but acceptable.
The competition that’s coming fast
Other companies are developing retinal implants with different approaches. Second Sight’s Argus II system uses external cameras and electrode arrays. Pixium Vision’s Prima predecessor showed promise. Numerous academic labs are pursuing variations.
Science Corp has momentum and funding. Completing successful trials and getting press coverage creates advantage. Patients want proven treatments, not experimental systems.
The BCI market overall is heating up dramatically. Microsoft, Apple, Meta, and other giants are investing. Government funding is increasing. China’s stated goal of global BCI dominance means resources will flow there.
Prima competes not just with other vision restoration systems but with the entire BCI industry for talent, funding, and attention. Success attracts competition. Science Corp’s lead is temporary.
Why this matters more than you think
Demonstrating that retinal implants can restore reading ability proves brain computer interfaces work for practical applications. This isn’t science fiction. It’s working medical technology helping real patients today.
Prima also shows the viable path forward for neurotechnology. Focus on specific, solvable problems. Use established surgery techniques. Fit into existing regulatory frameworks. Generate revenue to fund research.
The brain computer interface revolution won’t arrive as dramatic breakthrough moments. It’s incremental progress. Retinal implants. Cochlear implants. Motor cortex interfaces for paralysis. Each advances the field and teaches lessons applicable elsewhere.
Science Corp is building the future by solving today’s problems. Prima makes blind people read. That’s immediately valuable. It’s also the foundation for whatever consciousness altering technology Hodak has in mind.
The company valued at hundreds of millions shows a working product already helping patients. Most BCI startups are still in early research. Science Corp ships medical devices generating revenue and changing lives.
The next decade will see neural implants become normal medical treatments rather than experimental procedures. Prima is leading that transition. What comes after vision restoration is anyone’s guess.
But 38 blind patients reading again proves we’re crossing the threshold from brain computer interface research into brain computer interface medicine. The implications are enormous and we’re just beginning to understand them.