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Researchers Grow Tiny Human Brain In Lab

Posted by Soulskill on from the also-grew-worms-to-put-in-can-they-could-open dept.

schwit1 writes: A team of researchers from Ohio State University claim to have grown a human brain in their lab that approximates the brain of a five-week-old fetus. They say the tiny brain is not conscious, but it could be used to test drugs and study diseases, but scientific peers urge caution. "The brain, which is about the size of a pencil eraser, is engineered from adult human skin cells and is the most complete human brain model yet developed, [the researchers say]. ... Anand and his colleagues claim to have reproduced 99% of the brain’s diverse cell types and genes. They say their brain also contains a spinal cord, signalling circuitry and even a retina." The team's data has not yet been peer reviewed.

4 of 244 comments (clear)

  1. Shocking by U2xhc2hkb3QgU3Vja3M · · Score: 5, Funny

    When a reporter asked the tiny brain how it felt, it replied "Kiiiiiillll meeeee".

    1. Re: Shocking by U2xhc2hkb3QgU3Vja3M · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Where's the line between "a few cultured brain cells" and "a brain that has a consciousness"?

    2. Re: Shocking by Chris+Johnson · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Where's the line between 'brain that has a consciousness' and 'Skynet, Elon Musk's worst nightmare'?

      Google could easily afford to grow a brain the size of ten thousand human brains. Would there be network effects of some kind, or a transition akin to the way turbulent flow passes a threshold and goes into chaos from normal oscillation? At what point is a brain a super-brain and are humans near that threshold?

      Interesting times we live in. Someone, somewhere, WILL try it.

  2. Consciousness by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    How do they know it's 'not conscious'? (Note: I am an atheist.)