Lab-grown brain cells play video game Pong

[LudwigPastorius]

Researchers have grown brain cells in a lab that have learned to play the 1970s tennis-like video game, Pong.

-snip-

Writing in the journal Neuron, Dr Brett Kagan, of the company Cortical Labs, claims to have created the first ''sentient'' lab-grown brain in a dish.

-snip-

The mini-brains are likely to become more complex as the research progresses - but Dr Kagan's team are working with bioethicists to ensure they do not accidentally create a conscious brain, with all the ethical questions that would raise.

-snip-

...Prof Karl Friston, of University College London, who is working with Dr Kagan, says: "The mini-brain learned without it being taught and so is more adaptable and flexible."

More here: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-63195653

Scientific article here: https://tinyurl.com/m9k4fp4k

Can this Star Trek technology be far behind? https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Bio-neural_gel_pack

[ratchiweenie]

1. I find this very disturbing.

[Wounded Bear]

4. Indeed! But the possibilities regarding TBI seem to me to be worth some study...

Currently, there isn't much we can do about traumatic brain injury, perhaps this would lead to treatments where patients could re-grow damaged brain cells and regain the functions that have been lost.

Many medical advances have had ethical concerns. I hope they can work them out.

[LudwigPastorius]

8. Yes, because we don't know what consciousness is, or what is specifically necessary for it..

to arise


How can ethicists say with any confidence that 800,000 brain cells (for example) are fine, but 800,001 are a no no?

[Hortensis]

12. My first thought was amazed wonder. My second,

the battle for equal rights for neurons, including right to life itself. How many died so Herschel Walker could play football?

[Buns_of_Fire]

2. Can a run for Congress be far behind? nt

[Iggo]

3. No worse than Herschel Walker.

[Nevilledog]

9. I totally thought this was a post about Herschel when I clicked on it.

[cbabe]

5. How kill cells without abortion murder charge?

[genxlib]

6. I would bet

They were able to accomplish this By a total dedication to their science.

Clearly they have never, ever seen a movie.

[roamer65]

7. Skynet.

[Disaffected]

10. Doesn't sound much like "sentient" to me.

[LudwigPastorius]

11. They are using the more formal definition:

“responding to sensory impressions”, as opposed to “reasoning or intelligent”.

[Disaffected]

14. Still seems a stretch.

The experiment sounds more like a neural network only performed with actual neurons rather than electronics.

[Lucinda]

13. ...

[Coventina]

15. Gee, I don't see how anything could go wrong with this.....

[Hermit-The-Prog]

16. Relax, it's not Halloween yet. We have lots of time to build bunkers.