Scientists have taught brain cells in a Petri dish how to play Pong, and the experience could forever change the way humans live.
By Vic Medina | Published
It’s either a small step for gamers or a big leap towards creating Skynet-like artificial intelligence, but Australian scientists have been able to teach brain cells grown in a Petri dish in the lab how to play Pong . Using a “neural network system” of neurons and electrodes, these scientists have taken a revolutionary step in fusing organic tissue with technology that will enable sensory output that could change the way we view thought, learning and intelligence. These experiments have been going on for a while, and we’ve talked about them before, but this is the first time we’ve been able to see how these cells were actually playing a game of Pong, thanks to a new YouTube video and report from Science Alert. .
Watching a game of Pong play out might not be very exciting, but it’s fascinating to consider that the brain cells in a dish control the action you see, and you can see the “Pong paddle” responding to the movement of the ball in order to return it. It wasn’t a perfect game, mind you, and they don’t seem to react as quickly as you or me (or even a computer for that matter), but the implications of what can now be done are huge, thanks to the work of the Cortical Labs scientists.
We’ve always thought of artificial intelligence (AI) as a purely silicon-based platform, as a program that runs on chips and boards, like the work of Boston Dynamics and their “robot dogs.” Introducing neurons from brain cells (in this case, taken from mice and humans) that could interact with an array of microelectrodes is revolutionary, especially since the human brain is capable of faster calculations than even the best computer. The microelectrode array with organic neurons attached is called DishBrain, and using the video game Pong, scientists were able to “teach” neurons to respond to stimuli (the moving ball) by sending pulses to the microelectrodes to move the palette.
Cortical Lab scientists were able to label various brain cells with different colors: neurons glow purple, axons glow red, and dendrites glow green. In just five minutes, they could see these cells ‘learn’ to respond to electrical stimuli from microelectrodes placed on different sides of a Petri dish, mirroring the movement of the ball. Brain cells reacted with signals to move the paddle to meet the ball, and a real game of Pong was played.
![](https://oponame.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Lab-created-brain-cells-learn-to-play-pong-in-just-five.jpg)
The results could have a profound effect not only on artificial intelligence, but also on how we treat the brain medically. “We have shown that we can interact with living biological neurons in a way that causes them to change their activity, leading to something akin to intelligence,” said Cortical Labs neuroscientist Brett Kagan. It’s an unprecedented step, Kagan explains: using electrical stimuli, brain cells were able to adjust their sensory output and, therefore, learn to play the game of Pong better and increase reaction time for better results.
Cortical Labs isn’t the only company fusing the organic elements of brain cells with technology. Elon Musk’s company Neuralink has been able to create chips that interact with the human brain, including inputting music and (believe it or not) allowing monkeys to play Pong. However. Cortical Labs’ work is based on the cellular level, while Musk’s company uses the brain as a whole and has so far focused more on commercial applications.
By observing that brain cells will react to stimuli with enhanced responses, doctors could use the method to see the effect of drugs and other treatments on the brain. It could revolutionize the way we treat brain injuries, and we can thank Pong for showing us how.
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