A research team from Australia is said to have succeeded in growing brain cells in the laboratory that are able to play the computer game “Pong” within a short period of time. dr Brett Kagan from the biotech startup Cortical Labs published an article in the journal Neuron in which he explains the exact background of his research.
Kagan describes that the cultured miniature brains “are able to take in information from an external source, process it and then react to it in real time.”
The research team had combined human brain cells from stem cells and brain cells from mouse embryo brains and grown 800,000 neurons from them. These were connected to electrodes and hooked up to the game of “Pong”. The so-called “mini brains” were able to understand the gameplay of the classic computer game within a few minutes. It was recognized exactly where the ball is and how far away it is from the racket. The neurons even developed a certain dexterity over time and used less and less energy to steer the bat to the right place. The startup also published a video in which one should be able to see how such a brain plays the classic game from the 70s.
“We have to see this new technology in a very similar way to the emerging computer industry,” says Dr. Kagan. He assumes that brains will eventually become more and more complex. Roughly the same as with computer technologies However, it is important to ensure that the small thought systems do not eventually become minds with their own consciousness, which would raise ethical questions.
Next, the research team wants to find out how the “mini-brains” react under the influence of alcohol – and whether they are then still able to play “pong”.
Sources: “Neuron”, BBC
