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Trivial Pursuits => Science & Nature => Topic started by: Bobby Isosceles on October 23, 2004, 01:51:42 am

Title: brain in a vat
Post by: Bobby Isosceles on October 23, 2004, 01:51:42 am
A scientist at the University of Florida has cultured 25,000 living rat neurons into an in vitro brain capable of controlling flight simulator software. (http://www.napa.ufl.edu/2004news/braindish.htm)

Quote from: "Dr. Seuss"


This is the brain of a rat.
The brain of a rat is grown in a vat.
The vat is the brain of the rat's habitat.
How about that?

In this vat there is a brain.
With this brain we fly a plane.
:D
Title: brain in a vat
Post by: V-Adore on October 23, 2004, 01:58:23 am
Holy crap, ladies and gentlemen. Holy. Crap.

This gives me the exact same feeling that the X-Prize did: breathless realization that we are living in the future. Seriously.

It's just... brain in a jar, and it can run a flightsim competently. Wow. Holy crap. Totally speechless, yes.
Title: brain in a vat
Post by: Bobby Isosceles on October 23, 2004, 02:03:39 am
Quote from: "V-Adore"
Holy crap, ladies and gentlemen. Holy. Crap.

This gives me the exact same feeling that the X-Prize did: breathless realization that we are living in the future. Seriously.

It's just... brain in a jar, and it can run a flightsim competently. Wow. Holy crap. Totally speechless, yes.


"Rock the vote"-esque campaign slogan: "If a rat brain in a jar can fly a plane, your dumb ass can help run a democracy."
Title: brain in a vat
Post by: Bobby Isosceles on October 23, 2004, 02:06:19 am
Life is beginning, ever so slowly, to converge with this piece (http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2003/9/9/224310/1822) of fiction. Sort of.
Title: brain in a vat
Post by: Va on October 25, 2004, 03:05:23 pm
This is the best brain-in-vat yarn I've ever read. (http://www.newbanner.com/SecHumSCM/WhereAmI.html)
Title: brain in a vat
Post by: Bobby Isosceles on October 25, 2004, 03:21:04 pm
Quote from: "Va"
This is the best brain-in-vat yarn I've ever read. (http://www.newbanner.com/SecHumSCM/WhereAmI.html)


Your brain in vat story confuses me. Me am hurt head now.
Title: brain in a vat
Post by: slink on October 25, 2004, 04:30:34 pm
To clarify, it is not a brain.
It is a neural network, which can learn to keep the plane level, and potentially at a certain altitude, thanks to the feedback provided. This does not mean it in any way chooses what it does, it just learns to do a simple task.

That isn't to say I didn't find this remarkable, but it is no sign that we are going to have cultured intelligence any time soon. One possiblity however, is that in the near future, we could set up small neural nets which learn to carry out a simple task like this, which would be able to replace software in those instances.

It's going to get interesting when there enough neurons to break the first consciousness barrier... I forget how many neurons that is, but it's a hell of a lot more than 25 thousand.
Title: brain in a vat
Post by: Bobby Isosceles on October 25, 2004, 04:32:04 pm
Quote from: "slink"
That isn't to say I didn't find this remarkable, but it is no sign that we are going to have cultured intelligence any time soon. One possiblity however, is that in the near future, we could set up small neural nets which learn to carry out a simple task like this, which would be able to replace software in those instances.


You just described Fox News.
Title: brain in a vat
Post by: slink on October 25, 2004, 06:07:33 pm
Quote from: "Bobby Isosceles"

You just described Fox News.


See, and I knew the moral implications needed exploring before they even considered going ahead with this reseach.
Goddamn!
Title: brain in a vat
Post by: Va on October 27, 2004, 07:33:25 pm
Quote from: "Bobby Isosceles"
Quote from: "Va"
This is the best brain-in-vat yarn I've ever read. (http://www.newbanner.com/SecHumSCM/WhereAmI.html)


Your brain in vat story confuses me. Me am hurt head now.


Heh heh heh.  The only philosopher who rocks harder than Daniel Dennett is Robert Anton Wilson.