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Rat-Brained Robots Take Their First Steps

Posted by timothy on from the aside-from-snow-crash-and-politics dept.

missb writes "Brain tissue cultured from rats has controlled a wheeled robot around a lab, according to New Scientist this week. Researchers in the UK have harnessed signals from thousands of disembodied rat neurons, and manipulated them to get a robot to respond to instructions. The team at the University of Reading in the UK hope their research will help provide treatments for diseases like Alzheimer's and epilepsy."

32 of 289 comments (clear)

  1. Rat-Brained overlords by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    I for one welcome our new Rat-Brained Robot overlords!

    1. Re:Rat-Brained overlords by d474 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Give me your boots, cheese, and your motorcycle.

      --
      Authority questions you. Return the favor.
    2. Re:Rat-Brained overlords by Alzheimers · · Score: 4, Funny

      Agreed. Please stop hijacking me!

    3. Re:Rat-Brained overlords by xaositects · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't forget:

      Phn'glui M'gl wna'f, Cthulhu R'lyeh Wgha Nagl Ftaghn

    4. Re:Rat-Brained overlords by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Have epilepsy or Alzheimer's disease?

      Have no fear - we can replace your brain with a rat brain that takes care of that minor issue!

  2. Names please. by snspdaarf · · Score: 5, Funny

    What was the lead researcher's name? Davros?

    --
    Why, without your clothes, you're naked, Miss Dudley!
    1. Re:Names please. by SirLurksAlot · · Score: 4, Funny

      This gives a whole new meaning to "EXTERMINATE, EXTERMINATE!"

      --
      God, schmod. I want my monkey man!
    2. Re:Names please. by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 4, Funny

      The big question is can it climb stairs. I mean how can you conquer the Universe if you can't even climb stairs.

      You level the building.

  3. What does it do when you show it cheese ? by slashdotlurker · · Score: 3, Funny

    Curious minds want to know.

    1. Re:What does it do when you show it cheese ? by Oktober+Sunset · · Score: 2, Funny

      Noting much, but if you show it a binary representation of some cheese, that gets it's attention.

      --
      What if Tetris was invented by Nazis?
  4. this is old news by iXiXi · · Score: 5, Funny

    We have had these running around here for years. We just called them MBA's.

    1. Re:this is old news by Dekortage · · Score: 2, Funny

      They tried a mass of politician neurons first, but the robot kept speeding directly for the wall.

      --
      $nice = $webHosting + $domainNames + $sslCerts
    2. Re:this is old news by UncleTogie · · Score: 2, Funny

      They tried a mass of politician neurons first, but the robot kept speeding directly for the wall.

      ...and tried to shag the wall once it reached it...

      --
      Don't tell me to get a life. I'm a gamer; I have LOTS of lives!
  5. next step: politics by syrinx · · Score: 3, Funny

    Surely a rat brain would be an improvement over the standard politician's brain.

    --
    Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
  6. Aaargh by Sockatume · · Score: 3, Funny

    Suddenly, I just can't stop screaming.

    --
    No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
  7. Re:LOVE the misspelling by oldspewey · · Score: 2, Funny

    Actually GP is correct ... he is referring to People for the Insensitive Treatment of Animals.

    --
    If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
  8. Jack the sound barrier. Bring the noise! by laejoh · · Score: 4, Funny

    Will these rat things be programmed never to break the sound barrier in a populated area?

  9. I'll raise you... by whopub · · Score: 2, Funny

    That's nothing compared to the robot-brained rats I've been working on!

  10. Re:What in the... by Chris+Burke · · Score: 4, Funny

    Am I the only one who fails to see how these rodent zombie robots have anything to do with Alzheimer's?

    Well I assume it's because having a zombie rat robot come at you is something not even an Alzheimer's sufferer would forget.

    --

    The enemies of Democracy are
  11. Re:Obligatory.. by TheNucleon · · Score: 4, Funny

    Conquer the world, of course. This was the first conclusion I came to.

    --
    My comments are my own, and do not represent the views of my employer, my spouse, my children, or my cats.
  12. Re:I, for one, by BPPG · · Score: 3, Funny

    What are we going to do tomorrow night?

    The same thing we do every night, TRY TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!

    --
    What's the value of information that you don't know?
  13. Re:Obligatory.. by Yvan256 · · Score: 4, Funny

    The same thing we do every night, Pinky - try to take over the world.

  14. Future LucasArts project... by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 3, Funny
    Reading about disembodied rat-brains and what George Lucas can do with a script got me thinking about future projects for LucasArts... Announcing the new animated film from George Lucas, Scott Adams and George Romero, Night of the Living Ratbert, featuring the disembodied brain of Jar Jar.
    • Qui-Gon: You almost got us killed. Are you brainless?
    • Jar Jar: I spake.
    • Qui-Gon: The ability to speak does not make you intelligent.
    • Jar Jar: "The Bosses would do terrible tings to me, terrible tings to me if me goin' back dere!"
    • Qui-Gon: "Do you hear that? "
    • Jar Jar:"Yah."
    • Qui-Gon: "That is the sound of a thousand disembodied rat-brains heading this way."
      Off in the distance: "Brains, braaiinnss..."
    • Qui-Gon: (Starts hacking with lightsaber.)
    • Jar Jar: Messa feel strange... Brains, braaiinnss...
    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  15. Re:What was that sound? by kungfugleek · · Score: 2, Funny

    It gets worse. Early on in the experiment Potter was quoted as saying, "Ok, I'll do it. But first I'm gonna get tore up!"

  16. Re:Obligatory.. by TheoMurpse · · Score: 2, Funny

    NARF!

  17. I for one by xstonedogx · · Score: 2, Funny

    I for one, congratulate the RIAA for taking their first steps.

  18. Was I the only one who read the article? by CorporateSuit · · Score: 2, Funny

    FTA (unabridged):

    This work will hopefully contribute to our knowledge of how brains work, but its potential should not be wasted on that, says Potter. "This system is a model. Everything it does is merely similar to what goes on in the brain, it's not really the same thing. We can learn about the boring brain - but when we make sentient Monster Trucks, that will truly be badass." He then pumped his fist 3 times and held up the sign of the goat for a few seconds before returning to a screaming guitar solo.

    --
    I am the richest astronaut ever to win the superbowl.
  19. Re:SWEET!!! by Alzheimers · · Score: 2, Funny

    You can't have me for less than $250 a day, and I don't do windows.

  20. Re:That outcome is very much exaggerated. by jrob323 · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Yep, Uncle John was in terrible shape, what with his Alzheimer's and epilepsy and what not. But those doctors smeared some of his brain cells on that robot, and now he's just rolling around like crazy!"

  21. No but... Re: Climb Stairs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    It walks down stairs
    alone or in pairs
    and makes the slinkety sound

  22. Would you put your brain in a robot body? by MoronGames · · Score: 1, Funny

    Why? I like my body. I love my body...

    --
    hey!
  23. So.. by jvkjvk · · Score: 2, Funny

    A real stainless steel rat?