Robot and Its Biological Brain Could Offer Keys to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s

Researches in England are trying to determine how the brain learns and stores memories by using a biological brain to control a robot. Researchers at the University of Reading have announced that they developed a robot that is “controlled by a biological brain formed by cultured neurons that were allowed to grow, divide, and connect in a laboratory.” Scientists at the university are hoping that by watching the brain in action, how it stores and accesses memories, they will learn about diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as well as strokes and brain injuries. The rest of the article goes on to talk about other experiments using moths and monkey brains to control robots. This article is fascinating because it opens up a whole new realm of science that was previously untouched. By being able to study neurons in such a controlled and methodical manner, our knowledge of how the brain works will no doubt increase exponentially.

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