Scientias · Wetenschap

Google's fruit fly brain map inspires viral internet creations

Researchers have mapped the complete wiring of a male fruit fly's central nervous system. The internet has since used this data to control video games and robots.

Developers linked the fruit fly's neural network to games like Doom and Super Mario 64. Game visuals stimulate cells, and neural activity controls game actions. Damage in Doom triggers dopamine cells.

Creations extend beyond games, with the network controlling simulated cars and even robots. A counter-movement created a simulation where the fly can fly eternally.

Researchers digitized a dead fruit fly's brain by slicing it into millions of layers and reconstructing the 3D neural network. This resulted in a 'connectome', a map detailing cell connections.

Simulations process game visuals into signals for the fly's 'eye cells'. These signals travel through the network, with cell charge influenced by others. Exceeding a threshold makes a cell fire.

Specific cell groups control game actions like moving forward, turning, and jumping. The system reads activity from these groups to determine the game's response.

Limitations include the map not detailing connection strength or the brain's complex chemistry. It also doesn't account for the body's role in smoothing neural signals.

The fly's brain is a computer program based on a dead organism's map. Simulations lack biological components like muscles or drives, making behavior a simplified interpretation.

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