Brain grown in Petri dish learns to pilot a fighter plane

Did anyone else notice the story crazy today in The Age - and on theage.com.au (see above link) - about the brain they have grown in Florida? No? Well...let me tell you.

They grew a brain from 25,000 neural cells extracted from a rat embryo. They hooked this thing up to a flight simulator. At first it crashed the plane all the time. In the end it was able to keep the plane on a stead trajectory - even in hurricane like conditions.

Apparently this is all part of research to develop a "thinking" computer. They want to be able to stick a brain in an unmanned plane that they could send on mission too dangerous for humans. Another one of their excuses for this truly crazy experiment is that it will help reveal new way to treat neural diseases. Fa shizzle?

THE PARTY

Thanks to everyone who came to the party on Friday. Had a mad time.

THIS FRIDAY

If people are free, let's all catch up again this Friday night for some farewell drinks. Let's start at Saint Jerome's in the city after work. It is in Caledonian Lane which stretches between Lt Bourke and Lonsdale Streets. It is the first lane south (towards Spencer St) of Swanston Street. Hope some of you can make it.