Meet the first paraplegic to receive a life changing brain implant  March 4, 2026

 

All right, almost showtime. But before the show, some of you getting me pumped up, check out this special resin mold. Look, sunshine, love.

 

mold [mold] n. 模制品，铸件

 

Look at all this stuff. Miss Barea, Miss Gonzalez at Western Avenue Middle School in Los Angeles, California. Thank you very much.

 

Andpeep this right here. Miss Natalie at West High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hector, you did a heck of a job. Let's get this show on the road.

 

peep [pip] v. 窥，偷看

heck [hɛk] int.（表示轻微恼火、惊讶或对陈述、提问等加以强调）

 

Hello and happy Your Word Wednesday. One of the vocabulary words you submitted helped us write today's show.

 

It's also Hump Day. I know. So if you're having a rough day, just remember that what's coming your way is so much better than what you've been through.

 

So keep rolling or keep marching. Today is the only day of the year that's also a complete sentence, March 4th. Now, your news.

 

For the first time ever,some of this nation's most historic documents, which helped the U.S. take flight, have been cleared for takeoff themselves.

 

They'll be flown from city to city on their own jet, dubbed the Freedom Plane, as part of the nation's 250th birthday celebration. The tour launched from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport with stops planned in eight cities.

 

On board, we have an original engraving of the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War, and Oaths of Allegiance signed by George Washington and Alexander Hamilton.

 

engraving [ɪnˈɡrеvɪŋ] n. 雕版印刷品；雕版

allegiance [ǝˈlidʒǝns] n. 忠诚，忠贞

 

These documents usually stay locked in secure vaults at the National Archives.

 

So really to help Americans to connect with their past, to understand who they are and where they've come from, really, you know, every American is an heir to what the founding fathers envisioned and what they wrote into history on these documents.

 

envision [ɪnˈvɪʒǝn] v. 想象，展望

 

So to be able to take those right up to people's cities and towns and communities is a once in a generation opportunity.

 

Now some news on devices pushingthe limits of what is possible when technology and the human body collide. Human brain implants, devices that enable users to control a computer interface using their thoughts.

 

The goal of the technology is to help paralyzed patients or those living with degenerative diseases like ALS. Several companies have been conducting human trials for years, including Elon Musk's Neuralink startup.

 

degenerative [dɪˈdʒɛnǝˌrеtɪv] adj. 退化的；变质的

 

So how close are we to seeing this technology being ready for the masses? Are Becky Anderson caught up with the first patient in Neuralink's human trials?

 

This is Nolan Arbor, known as Neuralink's patient one.

 

He's the first human to receive Elon Musk's brain computer interface, a device designed to translate thought into digital action.

 

For eight years I was not really doing anything. I had no direction.

 

I would go to sleep when I wanted to or wake up when I wanted to. There was no reason to really get up. After Neuralink, I was going to sleep early so I could wake up the next day and participate in the study.

 

I found purpose beyond that.

 

The implant works by sensing brain signals, specifically the intention to move, and converting that activity into commands that can control a computer. Arbor was paralyzed in a 2016 accident.

 

implant [ˈɪmplænt] n.【医】植入物

 

We went to dive in, jump in, and I got hit in the side of the head. I immediately dislocated my C4, C5 in my neck and woke up face down in the water, completely paralyzed.

 

dislocate [ˈdɪslǝˌkеt] v. 使移动位置；使脱臼

 

He spent years relying on a mouth-operated stick just to navigate a screen.

 

Today he can move a cursor with his mind, playing chess, video games, and communicating independently. Elon Musk says the company will start high-volume production this year, part of his broader push to link the human brain directly with computers and ultimately enable what he calls symbiosis with artificial intelligence.

 

symbiosis [ˌsɪmbaɪˈosɪs] n.【生】共生; 合作（互利、互依）关系

 

But as the technology moves rapidly from experiment to scale, regulators are racing to keep up.

 

UNESCO has already approved the world's first global ethics framework for neurotechnology, aimed at protecting human rights as companies push the frontiers of the human brain.

 

There are serious cynics. There are those who say that what he's doing is overhyped. What's your personal perspective?

 

cynic [ˈsɪnɪk] n. 愤世嫉俗的人;怀疑人之真诚者;认为人皆自私者

overhyped [ˌovɚˈhaɪpt] adj. 过度炒作的

 

I think this technology is going to change the world. I think it's already helped me so much, and it's in its infancy. There are so many other people out there who I know are going to find so much hope in this, and there's no possible way to overhype that, in my opinion.

 

overhype [ˌovɚˈhaɪp] v. 过度炒作

 

Pop quiz hotshot, the Baroque painter Rembrandt is especially famous for his mastery of what artistic technique?

 

baroque [bǝˈrok] adj. 巴洛克式的; n. 巴洛克风格

 

Pointillism, chiaroscuro, cubism, or surrealism?

 

pointillism [ˈpwæntǝlɪzṃ] n.【画】（印象派的）点描绘法；点描绘派

chiaroscuro [kɪˌɑrǝˈskjʊro] n.（绘画的）明暗对照法

cubism [ˈkjubɪzǝm] n.（美术）立体派

surrealism [sǝˈriǝlˌɪzǝm] n. 超现实主义

 

If you said chiaroscuro, hang it in the Louvre. The technique uses strong contrast between light and dark to achieve a sense of volume when painting 3D figures. Now to a remarkable discovery, or should we say rediscovery, in the art world.

 

volume [ˈvɑljǝm] n. 容积；体积

 

A museum in the Netherlands says they have authenticated a genuine painting by Rembrandt, decades after it was deemed a fake.

 

authenticate [ɔˈθɛntɪˌkеt] v. 证明……是真实的

 

The work titled Vision of Zacharias in the Temple was painted by the famed Dutch artist in 1633. It depicts a biblical scene featuring the archangel Gabriel and the high priest Zacharias.

 

archangel [ˈɑrkˌеndʒǝl] n.（罗马天主教九级天使中的）第八级天使；天使长

high priest 大祭司，祭司长

 

It was purchased by a private collector in 1961, despite experts at the time dismissing the painting as a knockoff. It largely disappeared from public view until recently, when a new owner asked the museum if they could determine who actually painted it. Turns out it's a real deal Rembrandt.

 

knockoff [ˈnɑkˈɔf] n.（售价低廉的）冒牌服装；名牌仿制品

 

A team of researchers spent two years authenticating the work using techniques like high-tech x-ray scans. The work will now go on display as part of a long-term loan from the owner, giving the public their first look at the piece in more than 60 years. No word on how much the Rembrandt is worth.

 

The most expensive Rembrandt ever sold was bought by the Rijksmuseum and Louvre for $180 million in 2016.

 

Question for all of our elders out there.If you had to choose a music genre that defined your teenage years, what would it be? For me, it's old school R&B.

 

Boys to men, Joe to C, sisters with voices. Well, one of the most popular genres globally for Gen Z is K-pop or Korean pop music. Its rise to cultural dominance on a global scale has been remarkable.

 

Twice, one of K-pop's biggest girl groups, just marked their 10th anniversary with a world tour. And you can see how that global fandom comes to life through fashion, fan traditions, and a sense of belonging that crosses cultures and generations.

 

fandom [ˈfændǝm] n. 粉丝圈

 

Hours before the opening act even starts, gregarious fans arrive to partake in pre-show K-pop traditions.

 

opening act 开场表演; 暖场表演

gregarious [ɡrɪˈɡɛrɪǝs] adj. 好社交的，爱交际的

partake [pɑrˈtеk] v.【书】参加，参与[（+in）]

 

One of them, freebies, small tokens that fans hand out to complete strangers.

 

freebie [ˈfribi] n. 免费品，赠品

token [ˈtokǝn] n. 紀念品

 

So these are freebies. I make them for most of my concerts.

 

It's just a good way of telling people, hey, you're part of the community. You know, I really love to share this thing with you. It's a great way to make new friends and just get communication started.

 

Nearby K-pop non-profit Motion Exchange is leading a random dance play, a fan-favorite K-pop tradition where songs play at random and anyone who knows the choreography jumps on in.

 

Well, I don't know none of those people out there. And all we said was, we're dancing.

 

Y'all come hang out. And everyone came to show up. You know, it's beautiful.

 

That's what K-pop is all about. It's just love and expressing yourself and having good fun through music. So if you like music, you probably like K-pop. Just give it a try.

 

Fans say that spirit of sharing and community is part of what makes K-pop different and part of why it keeps growing worldwide.

 

I feel like it opens so many bridges to, like, connect cultures.

 

And it's very expansive. And it makes me happy. And I can enjoy the music, the dance, and just the art of it.

 

And the crowd itself reflects that global reach. Not one age group, not one background, and building friendships over the genre. As K-pop continues to cross borders and break barriers, fans say the real power isn't just in the performance. It's in the connection.

 

From K-pop and hip-hop, today's story getting a 10 out of 10, a hippo. A new pygmy hippo that's capturing the hearts of zoo-goers.

 

Meet Jellybean, the newest addition at Arizona's Wildlife World Zoo. She's drawing crowds of adoring fans. And she even gets the hippo zoomies.

 

adoring [ǝˈdorɪŋ] adj. 敬慕的，爱慕的

 

Right now she is mom's little shadow. And it's adorable to see because she's just a little baby. So she's exploring everything. And everything is new to her.

 

Her sweet name is the result of a public naming contest. Jellybean is learning all about being a hippo from mom Lollipop and dad Tootsie Roll.

 

jellybean [ˈdʒɛlɪˌbin] n. 一种豆形糖果

 

Pygmy hippos are much smaller than their common counterparts, only growing to about 400 pounds instead of nearly 9,000. Despite her smaller stature, zoo staffers say Jellybean will have a huge impact in their understanding of the species.

 

In honor of Read Across America week, we are highlighting some of your favorite books and books you're reading right now.

 

Our inbox is full. So keep them coming. Colin von Stein from the Manning School of Academics and Arts in Golden, Colorado says, my favorite book is Hoot by Carl Hyacinth.

 

The way the author describes everything to such immaculate detail truly made it a great story to read.

 

immaculate [ɪˈmækjǝlɪt] adj. 无瑕疵的，完美的

 

A truly compelling plot about a group of teens making change and saving some burrowing owls and some funny hijinks along the way. I see you, Colin.

 

compelling [kǝmˈpɛlɪŋ] adj. 令人注目的；令人感叹的

burrowing owl 穴鸮

hijinks [ˈhaɪdʒɪŋks] n. 喧闹的玩乐; 狂欢作乐; 嬉闹; 恶作剧(=high jinks)

 

Keep them coming, y'all. We are going to share another from your reading list tomorrow. Now, one of my favorite books is The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

 

And right now we are showing some love to Mrs. Love at Floyd Municipal Schools in Floyd, New Mexico, who submitted our Your Word Wednesday winner. Gregarious, an adjective meaning sociable or seeking and enjoying the company of others. And this just in, I've gotten my hands on one of those historical documents that didn't make it on the Freedom Plane at the beginning of our show.

 

Mr. Austin and friends at Windsor Learning Center in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey sent us a declaration of shout out request. We wish you the pursuit of happiness. Have a wonderful Wednesday, y'all.

 

See you here tomorrow. I'm Coy Wire and we are CNN 10.