Scientists Now Want to Create AI Using Real Human Brain Cells
ViceFEB 23 2023
Study Suggests New Structure of Brain Neurons
Above: Human Neuron, Digital Light Microscope. Image copyright: BSIP/Contributor/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The Facts
A new study out of the University of California, San Diego, and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine suggests a new "pearls on a string" structure for the axons of brain cells, challenging the traditionally accepted smooth and cylindrical one.
Axons are strands extending out of the neurons, carrying electrical signals to terminals where they exchange information with axons of neighboring neurons.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine scientist Shigeki Watanabe said axons are the cables "enabling learning, memory, and other functions.”
The Spin
Narrative A
The brain defies comprehension not just because of its staggering complexity, but because we’re still grasping at shadows to define its essence. Each discovery — whether from mice, octopuses, or artificial models — only deepens the enigma, underscoring how little we know. Even the best scientists are often chasing an ever-shifting horizon.
Narrative B
The brain's mysteries may be as vast as its capabilities, but every new understanding — like the pearls on a string axonal structure — is a step ahead. While this ever-unfolding complexity proves we're still at the dawn of discovery, the brain is leading us toward infinite possibilities. Relentless research is our only compass in this neurological journey.
Metaculus Prediction
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