Obvious in retrospect

This is an idea now obvious in retrospect that it's remarkable that SF writers didn't seem to seize upon it earlier. Perhaps the notion of machines being inflexible and humans having to adapt was part of the cyberpunk ethos.

A device that automatically moves electrodes through the brain to seek out the strongest signals is taking the idea of neural implants to a new level. Scary as this sounds, its developers at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena say devices like this will be essential if brain implants are ever going to work.

In short, the device will adapt dynamically as the neurons about it shift. The brain is a dynamic, organic process, not merely a machine to plug into once and easily forgotten. Perhaps in a decade or few this type of interface will enable neurally linked cybernetic prosthetics.