" Can a patch of living brain cells in a nutritive medium be " taught " to do anything ? [ GOOGLE AI search result ]

[ "Can a patch of living brain cells in nutritive medium be " taught " to do anything ? " ]Yes, a patch of living brain cells grown on a computer chip can be "taught" to perform specific, basic tasks. Scientists have successfully integrated living neurons into digital systems to create what are known as biological computers or "wetware".Rather than having a conscious mind, these cells learn through electrical stimulation and a principle called the Free Energy Principle, which states that neurons naturally seek to minimize unpredictable chaos in their environment.Researchers have trained these living cell clusters to do several notable things:1. Play Video GamesPong: In 2022, Australian biotech startup Cortical Labs created a system called DishBrain, containing about 800,000 human and mouse neurons. By sending electrical signals to tell the cells where a virtual ball was and rewarding them with predictable electrical pulses when they hit it, the cells learned to control a virtual paddle and play rallies within five minutes.Doom: In 2026, using their updated commercial biological computer—the CL1—researchers successfully trained a clump of 200,000 human brain cells to play the 1993 first-person shooter game Doom, demonstrating they could learn to move and shoot at targets.2. Form Biological Circuit BoardsBy growing neurons across a specialized multi-electrode silicon chip, scientists create a two-way communication loop. The computer passes data to the cells via electrical impulses, and the cells fire back to send commands to the computer. This acts as a living CPU.Why Scientists Are Doing ThisWhile these cell patches are not as skilled at playing games as a human or traditional AI software, they hold massive potential for the future of technology and medicine.Energy Efficiency: Human brains require a fraction of the power that massive AI data centers use to process data.Medical Testing: The Cortical Labs CL1 system allows scientists to study diseases and test new drugs directly on living human brain networks without needing a human or animal subject.Would you like to explore how biological computers are programmed compared to normal silicon chips, or are you more interested in the ethical questions surrounding this technology?Try without personalizationSmithsonian MagazineA Clump of Human Brain Cells on a Computer Chip Learned ...The technology could one day help researchers develop drugs and tailor treatments to individual patients … 200,000 living human br...Live ScienceWorld's first computer that combines human brain with silicon ...Cortical Labs, The shoebox-sized system could find applications in disease modeling and drug discovery, representatives say.The University of Texas Medical Branch - UTMBBrain Cells in a Lab Dish can Play Pong - Medical Discovery News - UTMBThe study involved growing about 800,000 neurons on a silicon chip. The neurons formed a biological circuit board that could commu...Show all