Blog – Page 37

“Disembodied Brains: Understanding our Intuitions on Human-Animal Neuro-Chimeras and Human Brain Organoids” by John H. Evans Book Link: https://amzn.to/40SSifF “Introduction to Organoid Intelligence: Lecture Notes on Computer Science” by Daniel Szelogowski Book Link: https://amzn.to/3Eqzf4C “The Emerging Field of Human Neural Organoids, Transplants, and Chimeras: Science, Ethics, and Governance” by The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Book Link: https://amzn.to/4hLR1Oe (Affiliate links: If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.) Playlist: • Two AI’s Discuss: The Quantum Physics… The hosts explore the ethical and scientific implications of brain organoids and synthetic biological intelligence (SBI). Several sources discuss the potential for consciousness and sentience in these systems, prompting debate on their moral status and the need for ethical guidelines in research. A key focus is determining at what point, if any, brain organoids or SBI merit moral consideration similar to that afforded to humans or animals, influencing research limitations and regulations. The texts also examine the use of brain organoids as a replacement for animal testing in research, highlighting the potential benefits and challenges of this approach. Finally, the development of “Organoid Intelligence” (OI), combining organoids with AI, is presented as a promising but ethically complex frontier in biocomputing. Our sources discuss several types of brain organoids, which are 3D tissue cultures derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) that self-organize to model features of the developing human brain. Here’s a brief overview: • Cerebral Organoids: This term is often used interchangeably with “brain organoids”. They are designed to model the human neocortex and can exhibit complex brain activity. These organoids can replicate the development of the brain in-vitro up to the mid-fetal period. • Cortical Organoids: These are a type of brain organoid specifically intended to model the human neocortex. They are formed of a single type of tissue and represent one important brain region. They have been shown to develop nerve tracts with functional output. • Whole-brain Organoids: These organoids are not developed with a specific focus, like the forebrain or cerebellum. They show electrical activity very similar to that of preterm infant brains. • Region-specific Organoids: These are designed to model specific regions of the brain such as the forebrain, midbrain, or hypothalamus. For example, midbrain-specific organoids can contain functional dopaminergic and neuromelanin-producing neurons. • Optic Vesicle-containing Brain Organoids (OVB-organoids): These organoids develop bilateral optic vesicles, which are light sensitive, and contain cellular components of a developing optic vesicle, including primitive corneal epithelial and lens-like cells, retinal pigment epithelia, retinal progenitor cells, axon-like projections, and electrically active neuronal networks. • Brain Assembloids: These are created when organoids from different parts of the brain are placed next to each other, forming links. • Brainspheres/Cortical Spheroids: These are simpler models that primarily resemble the developing in-vivo human prenatal brain, and are particularly useful for studying the cortex. Unlike brain organoids, they do not typically represent multiple brain regions. • Mini-brains: This term has been debunked in favor of the more accurate “brain organoid”. These various types of brain organoids offer diverse models for studying brain development, function, and disease. Researchers are also working to improve these models by incorporating features like vascularization and sensory input. #BrainOrganoids #organoid #Bioethics #OrganoidIntelligence #WetwareComputing #Sentience #ArtificialConsciousness #Neuroethics #AI #Biocomputing #NeuralNetworks #ConsciousnessResearch #PrecautionaryPrinciple #AnimalTestingAlternatives #ResearchEthics #EmergingTechnology #skeptic #podcast #synopsis #books #bookreview #ai #artificialintelligence #booktube #aigenerated #documentary #alternativeviews #aideepdive #science #hiddenhistory #futurism #videoessay #ethics