Cortical Labs created a human "mini brain" DishBrain and trained him to play Pong

The startup Cortical Labs was able to create a human “mini-brain” in the laboratory. They called it DishBrain. Scientists

successfully trained a population of brain cells to play Pong. According to experts, this is the world's first demonstration that a “mini-brain” can learn to perform certain actions.

What is known

DishBrain is made up of 800,000 cells.The "mini-brain" was connected to a computer running the game Pong. The cells were responsible for moving the rocket up and down, and electrical impulses that were sent to the neurons made it possible to determine the position of the ball. DishBrain received strong and weak impulses when the racket hit the ball and when it missed, respectively.

According to startup experts, human"mini brain" can play Pong after five minutes of learning. At the same time, scientists add that the cell population is very primitive, therefore, it is not able to acquire its own consciousness. But DishBrain can improve his skills. The corresponding conclusion was made after playing for 20 minutes.

Startup Cortical Labs plans to study DishBrainand further. In particular, scientists want to know if their “mini-brain” can become a replacement for the real human brain and how alcohol affects its cognitive capabilities.

Images: BBC, SciTechDaily