tech
A petri dish of human brain cells is currently playing Doom. Should we be worried?
Scientists in the US have uploaded a fruit fly to a computer simulation, while an Australian lab has taught neurons on a glass chip to play a 90s video game. How long before we are all living in a sci-fi movie?
TL;DR
- Australian startup Cortical Labs has developed a biological computer using 200,000 human brain cells to play the 1993 game Doom.
- The brain cells were reprogrammed from blood samples and placed on a glass chip, interfacing with the game through electrical signals.
- US scientists at Eon Systems have uploaded a fruit fly's brain into a computer simulation, creating a virtual insect that exhibits natural behaviors.
- These experiments explore biological computing and brain emulation, with potential applications in medical research (disease modeling, drug testing) and robotics.
- The advancements raise ethical discussions about sentience, digital clones, and the potential to 'upload' human consciousness.