Slashdot Mirror
Human Mini-Brains Growing Inside Rat Bodies Are Starting To Integrate (inverse.com)
At the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience starting November 11 in Washington D.C., two teams of scientists plan to present previously unpublished research on the unexpected interaction between human mini-brains and their rat and mouse hosts. "In the new papers, according to STAT, scientists will report that the organoids survived for extended periods of time -- two months in one case -- and even connected to lab animals' circulatory and nervous systems, transferring blood and nerve signals between the host animal and the implanted human cells," reports Inverse. "This is an unprecedented advancement for mini-brain research." From the report: That mini-brains can even be grown in the lab is a huge advancement in the first place, as they have many of the same characteristics as living human brains that are in the early stages of development. Though they're not "alive" in the same sense that you and I are, they grow and are organized into different layers like our brains are. They even react in similar ways to stimuli like psychedelic drugs. Organoids are poised to revolutionize research on the human brain since scientists can perform tests on them that would be unethical to attempt on living humans. STAT also reports that a third lab, in addition to the two presenting at the Society for Neuroscience meeting, has successfully connected human brain organoids to blood vessels. This attempt veered into such challenging ethical territory, though, that the lab reportedly paused its efforts.
Ethical is informing someone of the risks, not misrepresent anything for the purpose of obtaining consent.
Moral is can't do it at all because of some taboo.
Mini brains in mice are a clever workaround. As long as we can pretrnd its like growing vegetables, its ok.
Scientists should be careful to ensure they can't communicate meaningfully with these minibrains, because the instant one of those things signals that it's hurting or wants the pain to stop, the ethics and morals will apply again and we will be having strange discussions about whether those mini brains come with souls or not.
http://data.whicdn.com/images/...
You are welcome on my lawn.
If it sounds like the intro to a horror movie / game, maybe you should think twice about proceeding....
The typical Political archetypes are psychopaths as the leaders with narcissists as the minions, willing to do anything for anyone for empty compliments about how great they are
For what we can see politics has become so dis-functional with the identity game that it is precisely what attracts psychopaths and narcissists. The image of competence. Meanwhile, the competent are subject to all of the games psychopaths and narcissists play, manipulating people.
Your example of Tesla and Edison is a good one, especially considering that when Einstein was asked, What's it like to be the smartest man in the world? he replied: "I don't know, you would have to ask Nicola Tesla." It's a good example of what this sickness costs our species.
I'm only pointing it out because I think that sickness overshadows politics and we have to fix politics to prevent psychopaths spreading their corruption throughout our society.
My ism, it's full of beliefs.
When you have to choose between two people trying to ruin your life, and one of em is very smart and talented and the other is a complete dumbass, i don't think you would choose the more capable one.