Mixing brain cells and nanodots 73
Roland Piquepaille writes "It's not the first time that animal brain cells have been used in conjunction with nanoparticles. But now, a team of Israeli researchers have grown self-organizing networks of rat brain cells by binding them to carbon nanotubes. In a short article, New Scientist reports that these neural networks are remarkably stable, surviving for almost three months in the lab. These hybrid networks could be used in future biological sensors. For example, they could identify a poison by measuring its effect on such a network of brain cells."
Wait, what's this about nanodots? (Score:5, Interesting)
They've already got remote controlled rats... (Score:2, Interesting)
Couple this with:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A17434-2
and you get monkeys that can control rats with their mind!
I for one welcome our new monkey overlords and their army of mind controlled rats...
Hardware Vs Biological Routes (Score:3, Interesting)
The article says its to "identify a compound" which is achieved by embedding the olfactory/taste/heat etc neurons on chips and monitoring the signals generated. These neurons have special proteins in their membranes to identify the compounds, but this could very easily be extended to AI networks, and opens up alot more possibility.
Robotic control algorithms brached in the 50's-60's into serial control and neurological control. The processing limitations in earlier days inhibited the latter development path, but there have been a number of interesting developments like this one recently showing progression of the neural paths - eg Sony Robodog a few days earlier.