00:00Artificial intelligence is so advanced now that it can assist doctors with diagnoses,
00:06translate texts from any language in real time, and create art.
00:10But it still works using the same kind of computer parts made from silicon that have
00:15been around since the 1950s.
00:17Some scientists and companies decided it's time to step forward and build computers out
00:22of living things instead.
00:25This new field is called biocomputing, and it uses things like tiny clusters of lab-grown
00:30cells called organoids to create new kinds of computers.
00:34One company in Switzerland called FinalSpark has created a special computer platform using
00:40human brain organoids to help process information.
00:44You can rent this platform online for $500 a month if you're a scientist and want to
00:49do some research.
00:51The main goal of the company that made the computer is to create AI that uses 100,000
00:57times less energy than the powerful artificial intelligence systems we have today.
01:02Each brain organoid the computer uses is very small, only half a millimeter wide, and there
01:07are four of them in each processing unit.
01:10These organoids are connected to eight tiny wires called electrodes that can send signals
01:15to the neurons inside the organoids.
01:18These electrodes also connect the organoids to regular computer systems.
01:22The neurons in the organoids are given a small amount of dopamine, a chemical that makes
01:27us feel good, to encourage them to learn.
01:30So it's just like what your brain does when you learn something new.
01:33Thanks to electrical signals and dopamine rewards, the neurons in the organoids can
01:38form new connections, again, much like how your brain works.
01:42And mine too.
01:43Sometimes.
01:44If this process works well, these organoids could one day act like the processors in today's
01:50computers, except they would do the same kinds of jobs in a much more energy-efficient way.
01:55If you want to check out how it all works yourself, the tiny brain-like organoids are
01:59being live-streamed 24-7 so anyone can watch what they're doing.
02:04The big task for researchers is to figure out how to make the neurons in these organoids
02:09do what we want them to do.
02:11Scientists from 34 universities have asked to use FinalSpark's biocomputers, and the
02:17company has already allowed scientists from 9 schools to start working with them.
02:21Each team is studying something different about biocomputing.
02:25For example, the team at the University of Michigan is exploring how to use electrical
02:29and chemical signals to control the organoids, which could help create a special language
02:34just for these biocomputers.
02:37Scientists at Lancaster University in Leipzig, Germany, are trying to figure out how to make
02:41the organoids work with different types of AI learning models.
02:46Organoid computers aren't as powerful as the regular silicon ones we use today.
02:50There isn't a standard technology to manufacture these tiny brain-like organoids yet.
02:55Also, since they're made of living cells, they don't live forever.
02:59Right now, FinalSpark's organoids last about 100 days, which is a big improvement from
03:04the first experiments.
03:05They used to only live for a few hours.
03:07But the process of creating organoids has become much smoother.
03:11The lab currently has between 2,000 and 3,000 organoids.
03:16FinalSpark isn't the only company trying to find new alternatives to the usual silicon
03:21chips.
03:22The scientist in Spain studies another kind of biocomputing called cellular computing.
03:27It involves using specially modified living cells to create systems that can remember
03:32things, make decisions, and work like basic computers do today.
03:36The scientists believe that because cellular computers can react to changes in their environment,
03:42they could help fix damaged ecosystems.
03:45Regular computers can't do much of this, but a biocomputer made of bacteria could be
03:49placed in a lake, for example, to give detailed information about the water's health.
03:54It would react to different chemicals and conditions.
03:58Another scientist from the University of the West of England is exploring how fungi could
04:02be used in computing.
04:04Fungi have long thread-like structures called mycelia that can send out tiny electrical
04:09signals similar to how our brain cells work.
04:12The scientist thinks that these fungal networks could be used to create a brain-like computer
04:16system that can learn, recognize patterns, and do other smart things.
04:21His team has already taught fungal networks to help computers do certain math problems.
04:26They believe that using fungi for computing could be better than using brain cells because
04:31it's easier, cheaper, more ethical, and works well with current technology.
04:37While a computer made of human neurons is in the testing stages, scientists at UC Davis
04:42Health have invented a new brain-computer interface that could turn brain signals into
04:46speech with nearly perfect accuracy, up to 97%.
04:51Scientists put special sensors in the brain of a man who had trouble speaking because
04:55of his health condition.
04:57When they turned on the system, the man could start sharing what he wanted to say within
05:01minutes.
05:02When someone with a similar condition wants to speak, the new device turns their brain
05:06signals into text that appears on a computer screen.
05:10The computer can then say the words out loud.
05:13To create this system, the team worked with a 45-year-old man who had a condition that
05:17made his arms and legs weak and his speech very difficult to understand, so he needed
05:22help to communicate.
05:24A doctor planted a special device into the patient's brain.
05:28They placed tiny sensors in a part of the brain that helps control speech.
05:32These sensors were designed to pick up signals from 256 spots in the brain.
05:37The device detects when the brain is trying to move muscles to talk.
05:41It listens to the brain's signals and turns them into sounds like syllables, which then
05:45form the words the person is trying to say.
05:49This invention is just one example of the latest trend for computers to be part of the
05:53clothes we wear, and even part of our bodies.
05:56We're making new prosthetic limbs that can do more than just help people grab things.
06:01They can also send a message back to the brain, telling them that something has been touched.
06:06This changes how we think about being human because it means that even a metal limb can
06:10connect to our brain like a real part of us.
06:13According to experts, computers of the future will mix together living things, physical
06:18objects, and digital technology.
06:21Things like 3D printing, biotechnology, robots that help people move, smart devices that
06:26connect everything, self-driving cars, and different types of artificial intelligence
06:31will be even more widespread than they are now.
06:35Things are changing really fast, so it's hard to make predictions about the computer
06:39industry even as close as 2030.
06:42But experts agree that quantum computing, which brings the science of physics into computers,
06:47will be super important.
06:49Computers could become so tiny, they're going to be the size of an atom.
06:53Quantum computing is expected to make huge changes in how we use AI and machine learning
06:58and search through big data.
07:00It means we could get even better shopping suggestions and smarter tools for our home.
07:06In medicine, it could help discover new medicines faster and help people live longer, healthier
07:11lives.
07:12Quantum computing will also affect many industries like privacy, finance, healthcare, entertainment,
07:18and technology.
07:19It could change how we work, leading to new breakthroughs in robotics, better surgical
07:23tools, and improved digital tools for our jobs.
07:27It will also make technology better, as it should make supply chains more efficient,
07:32improve traffic management, help with financial planning, and streamline many different processes.
07:38For most of the time we've used computers, everything we do on them happens in 2D, meaning
07:43that it's flat, like looking at a picture or reading on a screen.
07:47Sometimes, special jobs like 3D modeling or design use 3D, but that's not common
07:53for most people.
07:55But now, we're starting to move from doing things in 2D to exploring 3D virtual worlds
08:01where things look and feel more like they do in real life.
08:04VR gadgets are still pretty expensive and not available to everyone, but big companies
08:09are working on extended reality headsets, and this tech will likely become more and
08:14more widespread.
08:18That's it for today!
08:19So, hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your
08:23friends!
08:24Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!
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