Data Stored in Live Neurons

Light Licker writes "Israeli researchers have created artificial memories for the first time — in a tangle of neurons growing in the lab. Using a specific chemical they could add to the pattern of impulses in a network of the nerve cells. 'Many believe that complex patterns of neuronal firing are templates for memory, which the brain uses when storing information. Imprinting such "memories" on artificial neural networks provides a potential way to develop cyborg chips, says Ben-Jacob. These would be useful for monitoring biological systems like the brain and blood since, being human, they would respond to the same chemicals.' The new pattern lasted two days — good enough for biological RAM?"

Re:"Israeli researchers have..."

[Anonymous Coward]

ICQ
PHP
RSA (in use, right?)
USB flash storage devices (see M-Systems)
Water sprinklers
Cherry tomatoes
Epilady hair remover
Many, many new medicines (see Teva)
Various kinds of defense weapons

Should I go on?

Re:FYI

[Metasquares]

Yes and no. Individual improvements tend to be incremental because everyone wants to get a lot of stuff published (this applies to about all of science nowadays). On the other hand, there still are the occasional breakthroughs, and overall the field is moving fairly rapidly. The research tends to sound really interesting, which leads to "hype" when the news agencies attempt to translate the messages in publications for the general public. The papers themselves (and papers in general, really) tend to be cautiously optimistic, citing potential problems, limitations, and improvements for the research in the conclusion.

LIke a read-only memory

[mangu]

maybe they just caused an injury to the network that took 2 days to heal

You used a word with negative connotations, but that's how many electronic memory devices work. They start with a full set of connections and are programmed by deleting all the unwanted connections.

In old-style PROMs (programmable read-only memories) the connections were metallic fuses that were burned by a pulse of current. Then came EPROMs (eraseable programmable read-only memories) where the connections could be restored by bathing the chip in ultraviolet radiation for 20 minutes. Today we have many kinds of EEPROMs (electrically eraseable programmable read-only memories) where the connections can be restored by sending commands to the chip.

Anyhow, the programming for each of those chips has always been done by breaking links, that is by "injuring" the chip.