Scientist turned science fiction into reality
Many fear that robots will replace humans. But maybe it's us that the machines should be worried about. Swedish scientists have created the world's first “living computer” made from human brain tissue. It consists of 16 organelles, or clusters of brain cells grown in the laboratory, that transmit information to each other.
These organelles work much like a traditional computer chip – sending and receiving signals through their neurons, which act as electrical circuits, writes the Daily Mail.
But what makes them special is that a living machine uses less power because living neurons can consume more than a million times less power than digital processors currently in use.
When compared to the best computers in the world, scientists have found that at the same speed and 1000 times more memory, the human brain consumes 10 to 20 watts – compared to a computer that consumes 21 megawatts. One megawatt is equal to one million watts, reminds those who have forgotten, the Daily Mail.
The living machine was developed by scientists at FinalSparks, which specializes in creating solutions using biological neural networks.
Dr Fred Jordan, co-CEO of FinalSpark, a startup specializing in creating solutions using biological neural networks, told DailyMail .com: “This idea is often found in science fiction, but there has been no real research on it.”
Organoids are tiny, self-organising, three-dimensional tissue cultures derived from stem cells, the Daily Mail reports. Such cultures can be created to replicate much of the complexity of an organ or to express specific aspects of it, such as producing only certain types of cells. Scientists take stem cells and culture them for about a month until they form features such as neurons.
The FinalSparks mini-brain was created from approximately 10,000 living neurons with a diameter of about 0.5 mm. Organelles train with the help of dopamine – when they perform tasks correctly, they receive a flow of this chemical as a reward. The scientist injects dopamine by exposing a specific area of the brain organelle to light – similar to how it is released in the human brain when a specific area is activated.
The mini-brain is surrounded by eight electrodes that measure the activity of the organelles, and researchers can pass a current through the electrode, affecting the neuron. These electrodes serve the dual role of stimulating the organoids and recording the data they process.
The organoids are also placed in a microfluidic incubator, which acts as a mini-small fluid delivery system, providing the cells with the nutrients they need to maintain them. life activity, continues the Daily Mail.
The incubator maintains organelles at body temperature and automates the supply and maintenance of cell media, providing a stable environment free of bacteria and viruses.
Cells in a "living computer" live and die within 100 days, combining into a three-dimensional organoid structure. But they are similar to those in the real human brain, and have similar electrical activity: “The neurons in your brain will live for about 80 years – when you die, they will be the same as when you were born. We're not as good as nature at keeping them alive, so they live 100 days.”
And scientists simply grow new organelles to replace the dead ones.
The team recently launched the brain computer as an online platform allowing researchers from around the world to remotely conduct experiments with biological neurons in vitro. Three dozen universities have already expressed interest in using the platform
Jordan called the "living computer" “software” because, like the real human brain, it lies somewhere between computer hardware (that is, the chips that process information) and software (the programs that run on the hardware).
"We call it "software" “I don’t know who coined this word, but the brain is between software and hardware,” Jordan said. – There is a clear separation in computers; you run different programs on the same hardware. But in our brains, to learn something, you physically change the hardware that makes the synaptic connections. Therefore, we need a new word, and “waterproof equipment” makes sense because cells need a moist environment to survive.”
The world is facing an energy crisis due to fuel shortages, supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions and the transition to renewable energy sources. Not to mention the rise in the use of artificial intelligence, which is projected to consume 29.3 terawatt-hours per year – one terawatt equal to one trillion watts. What are the next steps?
For now, the company is focused on cloud computing, specifically power-hungry data centers driven by AI. Labs and universities around the world are already connecting to FinalSpark to test hardware.
Later this month, Jordan will attend the world's first biocomputing conference in Vienna this month, with guests from Australia and the US. “I don’t think the organizers knew how few of us were here,” he laughed. He said the phone hasn't stopped ringing since his findings were published: “A lot of people are calling me and offering me money,” he said.
Another potential breakthrough is a new understanding of the human brain itself, which could lead to to create cures for diseases.
The technology of creating organoids is relatively new, and so far little research has been done on turning human neurons into a computer.
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