When Rene Descartes said, “I think, therefore I am,” the philosopher probably didn’t imagine a stamp-sized clump of rat neurons grown in a dish, hooked to a computer.
Following the article back to the home of the project, NeuroLab > Potter Group, I learned about Meart.
Meart (Multi-Electrode Array art) is a hybrot built in collaboration with the Symbi-oticA Research Group. The project explores epistemological, ethical and aesthetical issues concerning the use of living neurons for ethno-centric end.
The Semi living artist
Its ‘brain’ of dissociated rat neurons is cultured on an MEA in our lab in Atlanta while the geographically detached ‘body’ lives in Perth. The body itself is a set of pneumatically actuated robotic arms moving pens on a piece of paper.
Rene got it wrong! More accurately one should say, “I AM….therefore I think.”
Utterly fascinating! Thanks for the link.