Topic
multielectrode array
Episodes and research papers from From First Principles that help explain multielectrode array from the ground up.
Research
Papers and studies featured by the show.
In vitro neurons learn and exhibit sentience when embodied in a simulated game-world
Imagine taking brain cells from humans and mice, growing them in a petri dish, and then connecting them to a computer so they can play the classic video game Pong. That's essentially what these researchers did. They created a system called 'DishBrain' where real neurons (brain cells) were hooked up to electrodes that could both send signals to the cells and read their electrical activity. When the 'paddle' hit the ball in Pong, the cells got predictable feedback, but when they missed, the feedback was chaotic and unpredictable. Amazingly, within just 5 minutes, these brain cells learned to play better - they got better at keeping the ball in play. The cells essentially figured out that hitting the ball led to orderly, predictable signals, while missing led to chaos, so they adapted their behavior to hit the ball more often.