Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[University of Calgary succeeds in building a neurochip out of silicon, human brain cells]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/10/university-of-calgary-succeeds-in-building-a-neurochip-out-of-si/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/10/university-of-calgary-succeeds-in-building-a-neurochip-out-of-si/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/10/university-of-calgary-succeeds-in-building-a-neurochip-out-of-si/#comments
Scientists at the University of Calgary have teamed up with the National Research Council Canada to put a network of human brain cells on a microchip -- in effect creating a (tiny) brain on a chip. Until now, when scientists wanted to monitor brain cells, they could only monitor one or two simultaneously, but with this new neurochip, large groups of cells can be placed on the chip and observed in detail, as they go about their business "networking and performing automatic, large-scale drug screening for various brain dysfunctions," according to PhysOrg. But that's just the beginning! This sort of advance could someday lead to neurochip implants for driving artificial limbs, treatments for strokes and brain trauma, and more. The Globe and Mail even mentions the possibility that living neurons could be combined with silicon circuits to create an "organic computer." From that point it's only a matter of time before you're jacking into cyberspace with your Dixie Flatline ROM.

University of Calgary succeeds in building a neurochip out of silicon, human brain cells originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brain cellbrain cellsBrainCellBrainCellscanadamedicineNational Research Council CanadaNationalResearchCouncilCanadaneurochiporganic computerOrganicComputerscienceuniversity of calgaryUniversityOfCalgaryTue, 10 Aug 2010 19:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Neurochip acts as a second motor cortex]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/25/neurochip-acts-as-a-second-motor-cortex/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/25/neurochip-acts-as-a-second-motor-cortex/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/25/neurochip-acts-as-a-second-motor-cortex/#commentsHaven't you ever wished that you had a second motor cortex? If you've suffered a brain injury of some kind, you just might. For the last few years, researchers at the University of Washington have designed and installed a special computer chip attached to the top of monkeys' heads to record the brain's motor cortex nerve signals. This computer chip, dubbed the Neurochip, creates a brain-computer interface that records every movement sent from the motor cortex to the rest of the monkeys' bodies. Then the Neurochip converts those signals into a stimulus that can be fed back to the brain, creating new neural pathways that theoretically could be used if the motor cortex was damaged in some way. We've still got a few questions, like exactly how this happens, how big physically this interface is, and when we should expect human trials. Of course, we've seen previous brain-computer interfaces before, but this one seems a bit more practical than strapping your head to some type of computer. The team published its results in the November 2, 2006 issue of Nature.

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Neurochip acts as a second motor cortex originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Oct 2006 06:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brain-computer interfaceBrain-computerInterfacemotor cortexMotorCortexneurochipuniversity of washingtonUniversityOfWashingtonwashingtonWed, 25 Oct 2006 06:26:00 EST