A simplified version of my conceptual and intuitive exploration of the mysteries behind organoid intelligence for a potential discovery merging artificial intelligence with biocomputing.
Combinatorial Innovation in Science and Technology
I have been fascinated by various kinds of intelligence for combinatorial innovation, exploring ideas on how the human brain works—how it learns, remembers, makes decisions, and sometimes, unfortunately, breaks down. My approach is to leverage human and machine cognition to better understand the cognitive mechanisms and explore their impact and implications for health and well-being.
Innovation is great, but combinatorial innovation can increase creativity, originality, novelty, efficiency, cost savings, risk reduction, higher success rates for projects, market relevance for business, competitive advantage in entrepreneurial pursuits, and enhanced collaboration for better teamwork in business and research organizations.
Recently, I wrote a story about brain organoids summarizing my studies in reservoir computing, which captivated some of my readers interested in science and technology. They asked me whether these cerebral organoids were real or just hypes and what we could do about them.
This concept might sound far-fetched to some, but as a person exploring it closely, I can assure you that these organoids are real, but they are in a conceptual state from a business implementation perspective with real-life implications, which gives me mixed feelings. However, reservoir computing is now used to study brain organoids by scientists and biotechnoligists.
For those unfamiliar, reservoir computing is a computational framework that leverages the dynamic behavior of interconnected nodes, resembling a neural network, to process temporal information. It requires very small training data sets, uses linear optimization, and thus requires minimal computing resources.
In the reservoir computing model, a fixed reservoir (the system’s core) transforms input data into a high-dimensional representation. This approach allows for the capture of complex patterns in sequential data, making it practical for tasks such as time-series prediction and dynamic system modeling for biological information.
Over the last forty years, I have followed the developments in computer science, neuroscience, and cognitive science closely. I am now engrossed in something as sci-fi sounding as cerebral organoids — mini-brains grown in a lab. Like many scientists in biocomputing, I am captivated by these tiny, living models of our most complex organ for various reasons that I will briefly explain in this short story for awareness purposes.
Motivated by the aspirations of fellow scientists, like the first trip of a child to a joyful playground, I am thrilled to conceptualize a project focused on observing the behavior of these mini-brains in a teacup, with the potential to create a metaphorical storm of innovation as we don’t think artificial intelligence can thrive without biological intervention.
Collaborating with my colleagues in the biocomputing and neurocomputing fields, we aim to contribute to the growing body of knowledge in organoid intelligence. Our vision is to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration, inspiring scientists from various fields to unite in this innovative exploration, hopefully leading to a mass collaboration.
Potentials of Organoids for Health and Well-Being
At first, the idea seemed bizarre. Growing brain tissue in a dish and using it for innovative solutions seemed far from the human experience, which I believe is intrinsic to understanding brain function.
But once I dug deeper into the science, art, and technology of it, I realized these organoids might hold the key to answering some of our most pressing neurological questions scientists and technologists have spent countless hours pondering over, particularly about devastating health conditions like Alzheimer’s, ALS, autism, schizophrenia, PSTD, and other neural and mental health situations affecting millions of people.
As a curious person deeply immersed in biotechnology, neurocomputing, and biocomputing for many years, my recent fascination with organoid intelligence (OI) was sparked when I first came across groundbreaking research from Johns Hopkins University. Their project, dubbed ‘ Intelligence in a Dish,’ instantly captivated me.
A biocomputer powered by human brain cells could be developed within our lifetime, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers. They expect such technology to exponentially expand the capabilities of modern computing and create novel fields of study, as they documented in a Frontier paper in 2023.
The ambition behind OI is to use the natural computing capabilities of brain-like structures, opening potential advantages such as superior speed, adaptive learning, and remarkable energy efficiency compared to traditional silicon-based systems.
What truly excites me about this field is the vision of merging living brain organoids with computers and sensors, allowing them to process information through neural networks, mimicking how our brains learn and adapt.
This innovation could represent a revolutionary leap in artificial intelligence, bridging biological intelligence with machine learning to replicate human-like cognition at a deeper, biological level.
Cerebral organoids are like a new, cutting-edge way of studying the brain. Scientists and technologists in the lab create tiny, simplified versions of human brains called organoids using human stem cells. These organoids mimic some of the basic structures and functions of human brains but on a much smaller scale.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting: Researchers are trying to use these mini-brains to understand how our brain works but also to figure out how they can learn and store information — basically, trying to make them “intelligent” in a way. This could help us understand complex brain diseases like Alzheimer’s or autism in ways we couldn’t before, without experimenting on real human brains.
I firmly believe that organoids could revolutionize medicine, bringing us closer to medicine 3.0. They might allow us to test new treatments for brain diseases and abnormalities that we cannot correctly simulate with animal models due to physical and ethical limitations.
Therefore, I see this innovative approach as a big leap toward creating new computational models of the brain. This could pave the way for new kinds of replicated and controlled bio-computers with a new type of intelligence we need to understand and explore. At this stage, this is called organoid intelligence, but the name might change as we explore it further.
What is organoid intelligence?
For those unfamiliar, organoid intelligence is the study of how these tiny lab-grown brain-like structures might be able to learn, remember, and process information, opening up new possibilities for medicine, biotechnology, and health sciences.
Organoids are essentially miniature organs created from stem cells that can mimic some of the complex functionalities of the human brain. They are three-dimensional structures replicating some functions and features of real organs, making them invaluable in biomedical research.
This emerging field explores the basic mechanisms of learning and memory and their implications for understanding neurodegenerative diseases and developing novel therapies.
By using the self-organizing capabilities of these organoids, scientists hope to solve the intricate neural network problems involved in cognitive functions, leading to breakthroughs in our understanding of brain development and pathology.
Moreover, the integration of organoid intelligence with advanced technologies like bioprinting and machine learning promises to enhance the complexity and capabilities of these models.
This synergy could enable the creation of brain-like systems that simulate human cognitive processes and interact with real-time data, paving the way for innovative applications in artificial intelligence and personalized medicine.
What I Think and How I Feel About Organoid Intelligence
I believe that one of the most exciting aspects of this research is how organoids can mimic the structure and, to some extent, the function of the human brain.
It’s awe-inspiring to think that these miniature brains, no bigger than a pea, could help unlock the mysteries of memory, learning, and cognition.
But as much as I am swept up in the possibilities, I can’t ignore the challenges. As they currently stand, organoids don’t have the precise anatomy or predictable behavior of a real brain.
And yet, they have shown a remarkable capacity for self-organization, which gives me hope. I keep thinking, “What more could we achieve if we could push this self-organizing ability further with mass collaboration?”
Of course, I’m concerned about its implementation and ethical aspects, too. While the recent advancements — like combining these organoids with sonic hedgehog (SHH)-secreting cells to create positional axes — are impressive, they still fall short of replicating the full complexity of the human brain.
I wonder: Will we ever be able to model the true intricacies of human cognition in the lab? Part of me (intuition) believes we are on the cusp of something revolutionary, but another part (intellect) questions how far we should push these boundaries.
I have also been thinking a lot about the ethical implications of this kind of scientific and technological work. Don’t get me wrong — so much good can come from it. Imagine being able to test treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s without needing to rely on animal models that, frankly, don’t mirror the complexity of human conditions.
Considering the staggering number of people affected — over 55 million globally, with that number expected to triple by 2050 — I can’t help but feel that this innovative research could be our best shot at finding effective treatments, considering our technical, scientific, and ethical limitations.
But I still ask myself: What happens when these organoids behave in ways we never anticipated? Could we, someday, create something that blurs the line between life and simulation? These philosophical and ethical questions act like a break, but I don’t want to stop there as the stakes are high, and the destination feels bright.
On a more personal level, I am particularly intrigued by the potential for organoid intelligence (OI) to help us understand autism and neurodevelopmental disorders. As a parent and someone who’s seen how these conditions can affect families, I have always hoped we would find better ways to intervene early to support cognitive development.
The fact that we have gone from diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in 1 in 10,000 children in the 1970s to 1 in 44 in 2021 is mind-boggling. I can’t help but feel a growing urgency here. Organoids might give us the edge to finally crack the code on how genetics and the environment interact to shape the autistic brain.
Still, I feel torn. While I am excited by the promise of this research, I am also deeply concerned about the limitations.
Schizophrenia, another area where organoids could provide insight, affects about 1% of the global population. Understanding how prenatal complications contribute to conditions like schizophrenia and then comparing diseased organoids with healthy ones could revolutionize how we approach psychiatric disorders.
But will we ever be able to scale up these models to reflect the full complexity of these diseases truly?
I have been mulling over the potential of these models to de-risk drug development, too. With the rising costs and extended timelines of clinical trials, especially for pediatric drugs, it is frustrating to see so many therapies fail due to adverse cognitive effects that could’ve been caught earlier.
Organoids could change that — giving us a more accurate model of human brain development and functioning than animal studies ever could. I believe this could be a game-changer for pharmaceuticals. However, part of me still wonders whether we will ever fully replace traditional methods, considering the societal and ethical challenges in mainstream projects.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, cerebral organoids represent a promising blend of science, technology, and societal hope for thriving. For me, the hope lies in their ability to help us better understand the human brain, one of the most complex systems in the universe, and solve unsolvable health problems with novel and innovative approaches.
Organoid intelligence looks fascinating and promising, yet daunting. But that is the beauty of science and technology. We must push forward, challenge the status quo, and deal with the uncertainty of the outcome driven by the potential to improve the quality of our lives. Improvement is a lifelong process.
What is your take on organoid intelligence? Are you afraid, concerned, or challenged, or do you have mixed feelings and thoughts like me with hope versus the risk of creating things that can dominate us and even create existential crises? I invite you to share your thoughts and feelings on this emerging science and technology.
Brainoware: The Hybrid Neuromorphic System for a Brighter Tomorrow
A glimpse into the double-edged nature of Brain Organoid Reservoir Computing with the pros/cons of this innovative…medium.com
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A Quick Update on My Recent Book Projects
To support the writing community and help them gain a competitive advantage in the market, I recently authored a book titled Substack Mastery, which is now available in popular online bookstores. It was well received by readers and now it trends as a best-selling book in its categories.
Here is the universal link to find it in different bookstores. The paperback of this book is available through Amazon or booksshop.org. The audio will soon be available in major outlets, and the first release can be purchased from Google Play.
I also published a new version of the Substack Mastery for busy people and explained the reasons in a new story.
How I Will Help Freelance Writers Save $600 by Condensing My Bestseller 5 Times for Them
Just like some prefer fatty cuts while others opt for lean, my goal is to cater to the unique needs of every reader.medium.com
I will continue beta reading for the next version. So, if you enjoy reading and providing feedback, here are links to chapters for free:
Preface of “Substack Mastery” for Beta Readers, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19…
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