Scientists Couple Nerve Tissues With Computer Chip

patiwat writes "Recalling Ghost in the Shell, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Martinsried have coupled living brain tissue to a semiconductor chip. This technique involves culturing razor-thin slices of the hippocampus region on the chip, enabling them to record neural communication between thousands of nerve cells in the brain tissue slice. The hippocampus is associated with temporary storage of memory. Employing the new technique, the scientists working under the direction of Peter Fromherz were able to visualize the influence of pharmaceutical compounds on the neural network, making the 'brainchip' an exciting test bed for neuropharmaceutical research, with potential for further development in neurochip prosthetics and neurocomputation. The researchers reported this news in the online edition of the Journal of Neurophysiology (May 10, 2006)."

Re:Repair my brain?

[suv4x4]

I know you're trying to be funny, but the first thoughts that come to my mind when I saw this were:

1. This means at some point we'll be able to control electronics with our brain.
2. This means at some point electronics will be able to control us.

I/O is a funny thing like that. Who is telling who what to do?

Don't forget the 3 barriers for spyware neurosoftware:

- Turn on your neurofirewall
- Have your anti-neurovirus resident protection on (makes you think three times slower, but you're at least safe)
- Always keep the cyber-implants up to date with Automatic Updates on to protect from exploits floating in the wi-max connection around you

- and always#@f...po4j...0sok .... just a moment I have to reboot, something weird going on

- Oh, yes. Don't forget to vote for Bush Jr. Jr. on the upcoming elections.

Brain slice experiments scary as hell

[Moflamby-2042]

Brain slice experiments (this case is just in conjunction with this new chip that can measure various impulses from cultured hippocampal slice) scare the hell out of me. A brain we know already has capability at least in full to present a rich sensory representation. When we get better at using brain slices in neurocomputation or experiments (cultured, donated, harvested, ...) then a line has been crossed until we know enough to know better. Who'd donate their brain if they knew some aspect of 'themselves' might be preserved while experiments were performed on it? Especially since the brain's owner is not in any condition to back out of the experiment at that point.

A brain slice is functionally inferior subset of this full brain's capability. How small a slice should it be before all sentience is lost and therefore ok to put it on a chip? Should it be for volunteers only? Are cultured samples ok to use or perhaps brain properties make them generate sensory representation just as well? Is it for example to use neural gag reflex circuitry to instead move our robotic arm and a neural 'gut punch' to alter the speed and trajectory? Repeated hundreds of times an hour? For decades on end? Is this kind of thing ok to do to animal brains / slices over a long period of time? Anyway, all I know is when I talk like this I'm modded into the subzero territories, so cheers to the few that see it!

Re:Repair my brain?

[suv4x4]

2006:
Presuming any of what you say has any bearing at all (we'd all have to be networked in the head!)

1986:
Presuming any of what you say has any bearing at all (we'd all have to be networked via tiny boxes we carry in our pockets we'll call "cellphones")