Memory-Enhancing Devices

Kernel, a new start-up, bills itself as a "human intelligence" company that's set to release "the world's first neuroprosthesis to mimic, repair, and improve cognition." Put simply, Kernel is developing a device that will be implanted in people's brains to improve their memory and cognitive abilities.

Though neuroscientists are not shy to admit that much of how the brain functions remains a mystery to modern medicine, scientists have a far better grasp on the incredibly complex organ than even a decade ago. Nonetheless, Kernel's device seems like a drastically advanced piece of technology -- and it is.

The hippocampus is the portion of the brain that handles memory. As its neurons take in electrical signals that constitute information, they fire output signals that form memories. The Kernel device could bolster the hippocampus in this task, creating bionic memories for consumers.