Rat-Brained Robots Take Their First Steps 289
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."
Rat-Brained overlords (Score:3, Funny)
I for one welcome our new Rat-Brained Robot overlords!
Re:Rat-Brained overlords (Score:4, Insightful)
Does anyone else out there take science fiction just a *little* bit seriously and think that some of the robotics innovations over the past 10 or 15 years might be a little bit dangerous?
AI is actually a little bit impressive, there just isn't a market for it yet.
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I for one am not half as worried about a robot or animal-brained simulacrum running rampant as I am about a normal, deranged human with access to some form of weaponry or construction equipment.
Of course, then I consider that the difference between the brain of a vicious dog, and a guy like this [wikipedia.org], probably isn't as large as we would have hoped.
Screw it. Put the brain of a woman with skills in many varieties of sex, into a hardy yet soft and pliant simulacrum body. I'd at least die happy.
Re:Rat-Brained overlords (Score:5, Informative)
Just because White Man's Science has yet to be stricken down by the angered Old Gods doesn't mean it won't.
Re:Rat-Brained overlords (Score:5, Funny)
Phn'glui M'gl wna'f, Cthulhu R'lyeh Wgha Nagl Ftaghn
Re:Rat-Brained overlords (Score:4, Interesting)
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And a ping-pong ball to cut in half to make a crash helmet.
Robotic Slavery (Score:5, Interesting)
I don't know if it is a question of destruction or of domination. Will we create a race of AI robots for the sole purpose of enslaving them? If we have the relationship with our robots of Creator/Creation will that make us slave owners once AI achieves sentience? Look at robotic factories, the work long hours for no pay and are modified or replaced or sold at the whim of their owner, if you did that with a person they would be a slave. Of course they are machines not people so it is just a factory not slavery. But if those robots where sentient would it change the moral argument. If that argument concludes that it would in fact be slavery, is there any reason to build AI robots if we cannot treat them as slaves? I don't want to have to allow my Roomba the freedom to go work for someone else, or the right to be paid for it's work.
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I for one am sick and tired of researchers hijacking Alzheimers and other diseases to legitimize their work.
Even if your work is not even remotely related just mentioning that one day maybe you will possibly contribute a tiny little bit then everybody will give you all the news coverage you could possibly want.
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Even if your work is not even remotely related just mentioning that one day maybe you will possibly contribute a tiny little bit then everybody will give you all the news coverage you could possibly want.
Because making rat brain controlled robots isn't newsworthy?
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maybe, but it really is not at all related to Alzheimers, and that's what gets them the coverage.
That's just a cynical usage of other peoples suffering to get funding and publicity.
Re:Rat-Brained overlords (Score:5, Funny)
Agreed. Please stop hijacking me!
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I for one welcome our new Rat-Brained Robot overlords!
who said they were new "ba-dum TSH"
Names please. (Score:5, Funny)
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The big question is can it climb stairs. I mean how can you conquer the Universe if you can't even climb stairs.
I have to say that this really creeps me out.
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Daleks. That is all.
Re:Names please. (Score:5, Funny)
You level the building.
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You have the government mandate wheelchair access ramps and/or elevators everywhere.
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SWEET!!! (Score:2)
So this means when I get Alzheimer's, I can get a rat-brain-controlled robot to do my chores..?
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You can't have me for less than $250 a day, and I don't do windows.
Re:Names please. (Score:5, Funny)
This gives a whole new meaning to "EXTERMINATE, EXTERMINATE!"
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I was thinking more of Saberhagen's Berserkers (specifically, Berserker Base) except in that case it was human brains being experimented upon by robotic intelligences, so the Dalek comparison is probably a better one.
What does it do when you show it cheese ? (Score:3, Funny)
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Nothing, because... (Score:3, Informative)
Nothing, because rats do not like cheese [curdnerds.com].
Remember Saturn 3? (Score:2)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079285/ [imdb.com]
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Really? I was thinking of how scientists recently created a sheep with the brain of a goat [youtube.com].
The story was reported by The Onion, this is just the link I came across for it.
More like (Score:2)
That outcome is very much exaggerated. (Score:5, Insightful)
That outcome is very much exaggerated, apparently to try to get more attention. Any such result would depend on other huge advancements not yet made.
It's Kevin Warwick. (Score:5, Insightful)
Hugely inflated claims? From Captain Cyborg? To generate press attention?
Film, as they say, at eleven.
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At present it is just an interconnect (Score:3, Insightful)
A random bag of paper clips would do the same.
Call me back when they have decision making.
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I gather that their cure for Alzheimer's and epilepsy is apparently to remove the brain and place it in a robotic body?
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Actually, to me it sounded like a case of optimism about the wrong thing. The more important result of such research would be in understanding how exactly the brain works, which would be useful in reverse-engineering it and learning how it implements those functions that are notoriously difficult to program: social interaction, human language (if a human brain), creativity, etc., all while burdened with tons of biases. That would, in turn, help in making realistic androids.
However, if EmbeddedJanitor is r
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This site is about the comments. The articles feed the debates, sometimes science is seen as crap and sometimes it's the other way around. I know of no other place where after the initial mod frenzy settles can you find such an array of both proffesional and amature experts commenting on the internet equivalent of the "science" section in a global newsagent. All other science orientated boards I know of
this is old news (Score:5, Funny)
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They tried a mass of politician neurons first, but the robot kept speeding directly for the wall.
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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...
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Comment removed (Score:4, Funny)
Are the rats by any chance named.... (Score:2)
.... Morbius? [wikipedia.org]
Aaargh (Score:4, Funny)
Oh no a meme is coming.... (Score:2)
All hail our cheese eating robotic overlords!
What was that sound? (Score:5, Insightful)
What? Is he serious, making a statement like that? Does he think grants grow on trees, that he can so blithely disregard the opportunity for sensationalistic coverage and the resultant exposure to those who issue private grants? Sure, Alzheimer's is mentioned, which is a nice hook, but he needs to make ridiculous claims in order to break through the wall of grant-deniers.
Sheesh. What is the academic world coming to, that they make responsible statements regarding their research?
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Yeah, but... (Score:2)
What?!
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Unlike rats, you can't eat a robot.
Maybe you can't.
Jack the sound barrier. Bring the noise! (Score:4, Funny)
Will these rat things be programmed never to break the sound barrier in a populated area?
This is a treatment for brain disease? (Score:2)
FTW. Who are they trying to kid? They are building man/machine interfaces. Unless they plan of replacing human CNS components (brain stem?) with electronics then I don't see the connection at all.
They should just come clean and say what they are doing, which is probably cool in itself, but a little spooky; they are building cyborgs.
But that isn't going to nail any grants from the NIH, so they go with the "aid to the afflicted" thing. Crap. And if they are going to lie and deflect on the basics, I guess they
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What if the damned thing exhibits delta waves at some point?
I was also thinking along those lines. Since this research uses fetal brain tissue, the animal (or potentially human) brain cells can't really remember being anything else, but it's still pretty eerie trying to imagine what the experience would be like if there were enough cells (however many that is) for consciousness.
I think there are some amazing potential applications for this type of research, but I also have a feeling that eventually someone
Cool name (Score:4, Insightful)
"Rat-Brained Robots" would make a good name for a punk band.
Yikes!! (Score:2)
This is simultaneously one of the more interesting, exciting, and terrifying news Items I've seen a while.
LOL! (Score:2)
Future LucasArts project... (Score:4, Funny)
Off in the distance: "Brains, braaiinnss..."
Strangelove (Score:2)
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How long until we have the first rat-brained cruise missile?
Skinner found that pigeons work better for controlling munitions.
You will be upgraded.. .. hey.. we're down here! (Score:2)
Where have all the good people gone? (Score:5, Insightful)
I found this article... then checked Slashdot.
Where have all the intelligent slashdotters gone? Let's all STOP trying to come up with the funniest one-liner and talk about the subject at hand here.
They have taken brain cells and taught them to control a robot. This is simply freakin' astounding!
What else has been done related to this such as MEMS? Anyone?
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University of Reading (Score:2)
Someone has to say it... (Score:2)
(cue Oingo Boingo...)
Slightly varied elderly person (Score:2)
Hey! You kids get of my
I for one (Score:3, Funny)
I for one, congratulate the RIAA for taking their first steps.
SNOW CRASH by Neal Stephenson (Score:2, Insightful)
I suggest you check out SNOW CRASH by Neal Stephenson.
Fido is a good puppy and a pit bull terrier known as a "Rat Thing" by others. He's a biologically-brained robotic guard dog that does bad things to bad people, as he should.
Andy Out!
So.. (Score:3, Funny)
A real stainless steel rat?
Shit. (Score:2)
I, for the rest, do not welcome our rat brained robotic overlords.
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Anyone else read "We 3"
One of the best comics in the past few years.
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So we need to expect a cyborg rat invasion now?
Or perhaps some other kind branching from earlier experiments [jcnot4me.com]?
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Re:Obligatory.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Obligatory.. (Score:5, Funny)
Conquer the world, of course. This was the first conclusion I came to.
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NARF!
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Kill all humans.
Re:Obligatory.. (Score:5, Funny)
The same thing we do every night, Pinky - try to take over the world.
I'll raise you... (Score:2, Funny)
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PITA is going to have a field day with this one.
It's PETA. Not Pain In The Ass (although some do feel that way about them); People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
As to whether or not said field day will occur, I will abstain from commenting as I have not RTFA. But it would not surprise me if they do.
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It's PETA. Not Pain In The Ass (although some do feel that way about them); People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
People Eating Tasty Animals
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Am I the only one who fails to see how these rodent zombie robots have anything to do with Alzheimer's?
Obviously, you get more funding if you include a hot research topic in the project description.
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Re:What in the... (Score:5, Insightful)
Perhaps you could try RTFAing, then applying some logical thought.
They're studying how disassociated nerons make new connections and can be trained to reliably respond to stimuli, and how that response can be used to create predictable behavior.
Now go ahead STFW for the pathophysiology of Alzheimers, and it's pretty easy to see how this could be useful in understanding Alzheimers, and perhaps in (eventually, with a lot of steps inbetween) help either prevent it, delay its onset, or reverse it.
Not to mention, actively mapping neurons. (Score:2)
The eventual capacity to man neurons will bring one of the most vapid lines ever to enter cinema to reality.
*plugs in* *whooshing sound* "I know kung fu"
Re:What in the... (Score:4, Insightful)
The reason for the bluetooth is because the braincell broth needs to be maintained at a certain temperature and kept stable, and wireless is probably the best way to make sure the robot doesn't damage the brain cells or upset their alignment, say by jerking on an electrode tether.
I see your point, it does seem awfully gimmicky... but the nice thing about it is that it is modular. Their "sensory" system can be swapped out easily for additonal experiments.
Re:What in the... (Score:5, 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.
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It's about learning how to reroute data through the parts of the brain that are damaged. Or perhaps to replace those parts.
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Where are you getting 3,000 from? I scanned the article and saw 300,000
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Well, from a very brief look at TFA, it looks like they're growing something that resembles a mini-bio-microchip then attempting to basically reverse-engineer it by applying voltage here and seeing what the voltage is elsewhere. Then when they see a pattern, I recall the article said they apply 1v somewhere and they get 100mv somewhere else, they can attach probes and connect it to physical sensors and controls and they got about 80% success... i.e. about 80% of the time the 1v impulse generated the desired
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Article says 300,000, a bit more than the average fruit fly [wikipedia.org]
You can do a lot with quite few neurons, too. You don't really need to 'parse' the input, just simple fuzzy logic, something like "if we're close to a wall in one direction, swing to the other." Using even 3,000 neurons to do what you could do by hardwiring a couple of resistors from the prox. sensors to the wheel engines would be a criminal waste.
Ever played Bug Brain, BTW? Wicked fun!
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What are we going to do tomorrow night?
The same thing we do every night, TRY TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!
Was I the only one who read the article? (Score:2, Funny)
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