When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. - Hunter S. Thompson

07 December 2005

Rat brains, flying planes

It sounds like science fiction: a brain nurtured in a Petri dish learns to pilot a fighter plane as scientists develop a new breed of "living" computer. But in groundbreaking experiments in a Florida laboratory 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.

They hope their research into neural computation will help them develop sophisticated hybrid computers, with a thinking biological component.

Source: Why this brain flies on rat cunning - The Age (Australia)

Dude. It's the "Rat Thing" from Snow Crash, morphed into a Top Gun pilot.

Neal Stephenson, call your office.




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