Scientists have successfully taught a collection of human brain cells in a petri dish how to play the video game “Pong” — kind of.
Video: https://youtu.be/9ksLuRoEq6A
Researchers at the biotechnology startup Cortical Labs have created “mini-brains“ consisting of 800,000 to one million living human brain cells in a petri dish, New Scientist reports. The cells are placed on top of a microelectrode array that analyzes the neural activity.
— Read on futurism.com/the-byte/brain-cells-play-pong
A handful of experiments are raising questions about whether clumps of cells and disembodied brains could be sentient, and how scientists would know if they were.
— Read on www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02986-y
When we cooperate on certain tasks, our brainwaves might synchronize. This finding could upend the current understanding of consciousness.
— Read on www.discovermagazine.com/mind/brains-might-sync-as-people-interact-and-that-could-upend-consciousness
The professor of cognitive and computational neuroscience discusses his work to develop a scientific explanation for how the brain conjures consciousness
— Read on amp.theguardian.com/science/2021/aug/21/neuroscientist-anil-seth-we-risk-not-understanding-the-central-mystery-of-life
Scientists Grew Stem Cell ‘Mini Brains’. Then, The Brains Sort-of Developed Eyes
— Read on www.sciencealert.com/scientists-used-stem-cells-to-make-mini-brains-they-grew-rudimentary-eyes/amp
Our brains are composed of cells called neurons, and their combined activity is believed to generate consciousness. Each neuron contains microtubules, which transport substances to different parts of the cell. The Penrose-Hameroff theory of quantum consciousness argues that microtubules are structured in a fractal pattern which would enable quantum processes to occur.
— Read on www.inverse.com/science/consciousness-and-quantum-physics/amp
“Critically, mice learned to reliably elicit (dopamine) impulses prior to receiving a reward,” the researchers note in the paper. “These effects reversed when the reward was removed. We posit that spontaneous dopamine impulses may serve as a salient cognitive event in behavioral planning.”
— Read on scitechdaily.com/feel-good-brain-chemical-dopamine-can-be-willfully-controlled/amp/
All told, this study may provide the evidence behind “go take a walk to clear your head.” As the researchers write, “This is compatible with anecdotal evidence of the health and mood-promoting effects of going for a walk.”
— Read on www.fastcompany.com/90656101/take-more-outdoor-walks-neuroscientists-say-theyre-great-for-your-brain
Anxiety in females intensifies when there is a specific, life-relevant condition, a new study reports.
— Read on neurosciencenews.com/anxiety-sex-differences-18879/amp/
“We were astonished to find that this brain circuit for spirituality is centered in one of the most evolutionarily preserved structures in the brain.”
— Read on amp.mindbodygreen.com/articles/spirituality-found-to-light-up-this-part-of-brain-study-finds
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