Hatrack River Forum: Rat Brain Flies Jet!!!

This is topic Rat Brain Flies Jet!!! in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Godric (Member # 4587) on :

Scary? Amazing? Just weird? You decide:

Brain grown from rat cells learns to fly jet

quote:
It sounds like the stuff of science fiction: a brain nurtured in a Petri dish learns to pilot a fighter plane as scientists develop a new breed of "living" computer. In ground-breaking experiments in a Florida laboratory, however, that is exactly what is happening.

The "brain", grown from 25,000 neural cells extracted from a single rat embryo, has been taught to fly an F-22 jet simulator by scientists at the University of Florida.

Who was sitting around and suddenly went, "I know! We'll attatch a rat brain to a computer and teach it to fly a jet!"? We've come a long way from, "Eureka!" folks...

Posted by eslaine (Member # 5433) on :

I noted that the article didn't say how it kept the cells alive. What kind of shelf life would such things have?

Still, that is a stunning breakthrough!

Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :

Are they going to put it in a rat, and then have the first rodentiary pilot in the history of the world?

Cuz that would be AWESOME.

Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :

Noemon is so going to leap around and make excited chittering noises. [Smile]

Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :

"Dear passangers, please do not be allarmed, we're switching to our rat-brain pilot for the next hour."

First message from the new pilot:
"Sit back, relax, have some cheese and enjoy your flight!"

Posted by signal (Member # 6828) on :

This reminds me Pinky and the Brain.

"So Brain, what're we gonna do tomorrow night?"

"Fly F-22 jet planes... and take over the world!"

Posted by kaioshin00 (Member # 3740) on :

You forget the evil smiley.

[Evil]

Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :

Wow, how can I forget Pinky and the Brain?! Thanks, signal! [ROFL]

Posted by Tammy (Member # 4119) on :

Strange! Very strange! This bothers me and I don't really know why.

Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :

Tammy, why should it bother you? If I understood it well, it means replacing an 'artificial neural network' (ANN) with a real one. It's kind of the same thing... Think that at first we tried to COPY the real brain by coming up with ANNs, so this just means that we've managed to learn how to connect to the real thing, and I think it's also another proof that our understanding of the brain is right. We're probably heading in the direction of having things directly implanted in our brains - the way people in Matrix 'learned' to fly a plane, or use a weapon, etc. Hmm... This also means you could have governments programming people... Now you really have a reason to freak out! [Evil Laugh]

Posted by Morbo (Member # 5309) on :

When I saw this thread, I kept thinking "ratbert" instead of rat brain.

eslaine, athough it's vague, the article does say "The 25,000 neurons were immersed in a specialised liquid suspension to keep them alive ." Obviously the wonder liquid is Coca-Cola.

I had no idea biological neural nets were becoming so advanced...it's a real break-through.

Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :

" Who was sitting around and suddenly went, "I know! We'll attach a rat brain to a computer and teach it to fly a jet!"? "

Cordwainer Smith in "The Game of Rats and Dragons" and "Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons"

Posted by eslaine (Member # 5433) on :

*spits Coke on screen*

Yeah. Think I'll switch to RC or something....

Posted by J T Stryker (Member # 6300) on :

now, if the government could "program a brain" wouldn't that end insubordination in the military and create the true "ultimate fighting force"? I mean if a person were "programed" to go on a suicide mission, they wouldn't even consider survival over completing their objective, or worry about collateral damage...

Posted by Lupus (Member # 6516) on :

the real question is whether the rat's name was dog or not.

Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :

Nope, he's still posting around here somewhere... [Big Grin]

Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :

Where do planes fly? In the ... Sky, right? And what are a group of computer networks called? Net right? So... it's SKYNET, man.

We're dead. Game over man.

Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :

quote:
I noted that the article didn't say how it kept the cells alive. What kind of shelf life would such things have?

Easy. Melted cheese.

Posted by Pod (Member # 941) on :

FYI:

This follows work where they tried to get rat neurons to control a really small rolling robot.

People have been using artifical neural networks for a while, and there is a gulf of differences between the way the idealized artifical neurons and their networks function from how the real things function. This sort of work is a measured approach to try and get a better idea of how real neurons work in non-natural settings that is reminiscent of how artificial networks might be used.

Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :

quote:
Where do planes fly? In the ... Sky, right? And what are a group of computer networks called? Net right? So... it's SKYNET, man.

We're dead. Game over man.

Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

:: Leaps around making chittering noises ::

[Smile]

Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :

*giggle* Noemon...

You are just too adorable. [Group Hug]

Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :

PC: Neah, there's nothing to worry about, 'cause we have... The Governator!

Posted by peterh (Member # 5208) on :

I can just see Stuart Little flying that F-22.