Computer chip with built-in human brain tissue gets military funding
newatlas.com
newatlas.com
If we've learned anything from MKULTRA it's probably that subjects of these experiments aren't willing...
The problem is that I have no clue where to draw the line between these two scenarios. How many neurons does it take for consciousness?
The smallest mammal on that list is the Little Free-Tailed Bat, with 35,000k.
This feels like something helpful to use in beginning to calibrate one's thoughts about how much mind is capable of running on that many neurons.
> “…in [the] future may eventually surpass the performance of existing, purely silicon-based hardware…”
Software and silicon has the benefit you don’t have to keep it alive, disease free, and there isn’t actual matter you need to scrape off some copper contact should something die.
and would you even get gains in training speed, for example? How often are brain cells rearranging synapses/communicating when that requires physical matter be moved around? (Ions move over synapses? I’m no brain scientician) Feels like the ephemeral nature of the current software and silicon set up is a pretty good local minimum. I don’t know if somehow adding more matter and nature goo to it moves anywhere closer to the next minimum.
They just say it’s better like that’s self evident? Anyone know why?
"The Strogg are cybernetic constructs of unclear origin, which reproduce by taking biological components and fusing them with advanced technology in the brutal surgical process of Stroggification that enslaves their minds and enhances their bodies for war.
The Strogg's need to harvest biological components for their own augmentation, and the flesh of slain enemies for the creation of stroyent, is their primary motivation, since it's necessary for their survival. This motivation led the Strogg to Earth, which they promptly invaded, slaughtering millions of humans just to harvest their corpses."
There's probably earlier "what if we grew a bunch of neurons and hooked them up to electronics" stories; Cordwainer Smith's work is just the earliest examples I can think of.
Very few of them end well for the neurons, or the people who grew them.
And so with an unexpected turn of event, this research paves way for a new understanding of depression and consciousness. And humanity is once again saved from the greed and irresponsibility of itself.
I don't see how this particular thing is all that useful however, and you have to keep the nerve cells alive, which, even if it is remarkably more capable, living tissue has its limits.
Here’s a video from 2013: https://youtu.be/1w41gH6x_30