this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2026
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[–] Warl0k3@lemmy.world 9 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

I can't find any real details, but from what little reporting there is this sounds like the same area of research they were using to play games of mario when I was in undergrad. Growing neurons to do computational tasks is to the point that it's in the realm of experiments done by youtubers. The pervasive problem is that these structures can't survive terribly long; they lack the rest of the biological systems like a circulatory or immune system that a human brain relies on, and so die off extremely quickly. Growing large numbers of them also doesn't do much, as without some genetic structures which we barely understand (as in, we don't know if they for sure exist let alone what they look like) the development of the neuronal network is invariably destructively adversarial.

Given the other reporting on this topic touting this development as a new weapon in the war with the US, I'd suggest being very skeptical (and not worrying about the ethical implications) until they publish more results.

[–] fedikitty@piefed.social 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Could you imagine if reincarnation were real and every other life people reincarnated as a calculator that lived for 1000 years?

[–] PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmy.ml 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Reincarnation is horrible enough theory for an afterlife even without this.

[–] fedikitty@piefed.social 6 points 6 days ago

I'm getting sick thinking about it.

[–] PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmy.ml 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Off all the places which would turn into Adeptus Mechanicus, Iran was one of the less probable ones.

[–] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 12 points 1 week ago

Is AI sentient?Find out in all the wrong ways

[–] ellie@slrpnk.net 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 2 points 5 days ago

Wait till you hear about the experiment that forced human neurons to play Doom for eternity.

[–] Mistiygirl@lemmy.zip 11 points 1 week ago (3 children)

The technology in question is known as organoid intelligence or biological data processing. It involves the use of living human neurones to build computing systems that mimic the brain’s ability to process information with minimal energy consumption.

wow that is so horrific. How is nobody concerned with the ethics of this???

I think this is what we have been slaving away for on a human scale. Ethics are so us regs don't get any silly ideas about proper freedom and willpower.

[–] D06M4@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 week ago

Hopefully, the ethics of this also cover research on their functioning and preservation. Neurons usually have a much longer life than other cells, yet we've got a load of diseases that damage them.

[–] Malyca@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 week ago

I think ethics have gone the way of the dodo :(

[–] PattyMcB@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Neurones?

I didn't think the British even spelled it that way.