Scientists at the Australian National University have created a material that allows brain cells to grow on semiconductors and create neuroprostheses. Brain cells are grown on a semiconductor plate divided by portions of a nanoconductor that controls their growth.
This discovery has great implications for the creation of prosthetic parts for the brain.
The project develops methods for creating neuroprostheses that can regenerate the brain after injuries resulting from accidents, strokes and degenerative diseases. Australian scientists demonstrated that neural circuits grown on a nanoconductor structure can be functional and very interconnected. The project manager, Dr. Vincent Daria, hopes to use the new brain-on-chip to understand exactly how the brain is using chains who are capable of processing information.
"If we could analyze how these brain cells are connecting to each other, talking to each other, we could probably correlate that to what's happening inside a brain." said Dr. Vincent Daria.
Unlike other prostheses such as artificial limbs, neurons have to be linked by means of synapses that form the basis for processing information in the brain through touch, perception, learning and memory. Through a precisely defined nanowire geometry, they have proven that neurons are interconnected and form functional chains in a predictable way. - Source
There is a race for the brain computer interface. Elon Musk has started a firm to do this and hopes to sell product within four years. This is another step in that race. For me SIri in the cloud with augmented reality glasses is good enough. Not sure I want my head cracked open and chip installed.
Next step after this is we transfer what we call consciousness and our knowledge onto that chip! Proponents to the idea that we will be able to download our 'brain' think we will be able to do this within 30 years.
Interesting concept. Who knows maybe we will be able, but I highly doubt it. I think consciousness also lives beyond the constraints of the physical world.
The question what is physical? If we would think that everything is energy, consciousness will be energy. Energy is not physical, but still something we can detect and do something with it, eg record it. Science already established the fact that particles like atoms is just one way of looking at things; If we would look in a different way to the same, we will see energy. I do believe we can get to AI being numerous factors more intelligent then humans. If AI will be like a human from the insight (I mean consciousness) is something I'm for sure not sure about yet. That essentially means that I also am not sure if we are able to download our consciousness. And even when we can, the next challenge will be to be able to upload it again into something else; otherwise there will be no reason why would like to download our consciousness.
Maybe we are living in the Matrix :)
It's a good one you mention that. Quite a few people think that could be a real possibility. I'm not one of them BTW. The reason why I think we are not in a Matrix, and I mean we are part of a virtual world as created for the humans in the Matrix, is the fact it just shifts all the questions we have about what is the meaning of life, what is consciousness and all, to some other 'humans' who created the virtual world we are part of. That is a easy way out, and more or less the same easy way out any religion takes to try and explain the unexplainable. However, I do think there is a real possibility that we may be the humans in the Matrix that will live (most) of our lives in virtual worlds. When at some point virtual reality become so real, I think we may gradually becoming virtual world junkies; When technology is that advanced we cannot see and feel the difference between our 'real' lives and that of our lives in virtual worlds, why would we then not want to live in virtual worlds, in worlds we can choose again and again who we want to be. In that sense I think the Matrix has the possibility to become real for us. For our world and lives as we experience them, I would like to think we are part of what is called "Holographic Universe". In that model, all what we think is real, does not exist at all; It is also not created by some other 'humans' as a virtual world; It is more like all of this is like a dream; In fact the Holographic Universe model suggest that what we perceive as real is just 1) the way we look at things 2) inconsistencies in a homogenous field of energy. It suggest for instance that when we all would believe water is rock solid like concrete, water would be rock solid like concrete and our oceans would suddenly be concrete, solid and all. The interesting concept in Holographic Universe model is that information of everything is in everything; ie the information that makes you, your body, your consciousness, is part of everything else, your family, your friends, but also your table, and my chair here at home, and visa versa. Essentially the characteristics of holographic recording an a 2D photographic emulsion in which every small piece of that emulsion holds the information of the entire picture recorded.
Sure, I've heard of the holographic model. I like to think the universe is just one huge string, oscillating the electromagnetic field. Whatever it turns out to be it explains the external experience of what we call consciousness. The fact that what is out there is somehow affected by the way we perceive it tell me there is something more than just the solid physical world. In my opinion, a matrix is just that.
Enjoyed your analysis. Thanks!