Incredible Video Shows Brain Cells in a Petri Dish Leaning to Play Pong
The neurological journalNeuron has published a study detailing a video that displays 800,000 living human brain cells learning to play a video game while trapped in a Petri dish. While it wasn't a complex video game, the brain cells were taught to play Pong, and researchers watched interactions between the cells to better understand how the human brain functions. Ponghas been used as a video game platform for research in the past.
Brian Kagan, chief scientific officer of biotech startup Cortical Labs, was quoted as saying, «We have shown we can interact with living biological neurons in such a way that compels them to modify their activity.» This is the first time scientists have observed something that qualifies as intelligence outside of viewing complete living beings. To observe the interaction between cells while learning, researchers chose to use Pong. The retro video game Pong was actually trending on Twitter just two years ago, and remains popular for its simplicity and use as a learning tool.
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The experiment offers new insights into how to study and understand the way the mind works. Previously researchers were forced to use either animal testing, or computer models. This breakthrough may eliminate the need for either, and the flexibility of games could simulate brain cell interaction during a variety of circumstances. For instance, some games let you play as a journalist, while others simulate various aspects of daily life.
Kagan's study used both mouse and human brain cells, derived from either stem cells or embryotic mouse tissue. Brain cells were grown atop microelectrode arrays which both stimulated the brain
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