Eerie ‘bio-computer’ is powered by 16 lab-grown human ‘mini-brains’ – it uses less energy but needs ‘nutrient’ supply
A FRANKENSTEIN-like biocomputer powered by human mini-brains could become the world's first living processor, claim its creators.
The ghoulish project - which runs on nutrients - is being used for research into the grim-sounding “wetware computing.”
Biocomputers are basically computers which draw memory and power from human neurons – or brain cells, explained magazine.
In FinalSpark’s project, it uses brain organoids, with the aim of creating a living processor that works faster, is more efficient, and more powerful than silicon-based computing and AI.
Organoids are smaller, simpler versions of any organ - such as livers and hearts - and are three-dimensional tissue cultures that are derived from stem cells.
FED NUTRIENTS
The firm said it had streamlined the process to quickly produce new organoids and zap them with electrical stimulations.
It has used more than 1,000 brain organoids over the past three years "enabling the collection of more than 18 terabytes of data."
The living, pulsing brain cells are kept alive with a special fluid, said .
The 16 organoids were connected to "eight electrodes each and a microfluidics system that supplies water and nutrients for the cells," it said.
USE LESS POWER
FinalSpark claimed that using human neurons for biocomputing was more environmentally friendly than traditional processors.
But, the use of human-derived tissue in such projects has raised many ethical and moral questions.
Harvard University told last year he was concerned about the appropriate use of organoids.
"Colleagues at Johns Hopkins have been working with brain organoids, orbs the size of a pen dot with neurons and other features that promise to sustain basic functions like learning and remembering," the uni said last year.
"Computing and artificial intelligence have been driving the technology revolution, but they are reaching a ceiling," said Thomas Hartung, a professor of environmental health sciences.
"This opens up research on how the human brain works.
"Because you can start manipulating the system, doing things you cannot ethically do with human brains."
FRUIT FLY
Each organoid contains about 50,000 cells, about the size of a fruit fly's nervous system.
And Hartung said he envisions building a futuristic computer with such brain organoids.
"The brain is still unmatched by modern computers," Hartung added.
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The research comes months after Elon Musk announced the first Neuralink brain chip implant had been successful.
The first human to have Musk's brain chip implanted was told not to worry about the monkeys who died while the chip was being tested.