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"I love that computer science has made mathematics into something like an experimental science. I was never all that good at proving things, but I love doing computer experiments."
- Rudy Rucker
 |
| Head Cheese | ||
| Intelligent paste made of neurons; spread upon a substrate for computing. |
Pilot Joel Kita wasn't very happy about being replaced.
| The Pacific Ocean slopped two kilometers under his feet. He had a cargo of blank-eyed psychotics sitting behind him. And the lifter was being piloted by a large pizza with extra cheese...
Ray had been in this very cockpit, watching the pizza being installed and no doubt wondering when the term "job security" had become an oxymoron... The techs were playing with a square vanilla box, half a meter on a side and about twice as thick as Kita's wrist. Humans had always been able to integrate 3-D spatial information better than the machines that kept trying to replace them... Until now, apparently... "It's one of those smart gels," Ray said at last... "Head cheese. Cultured brains on a slab. The same things they've been plugging into the Net to firewall infections." |
| Technovelgy from Starfish,
by Peter Watts. Published by Tor Books in 1999 Additional resources -
|
Be sure to see the Science Fiction in the News story Rat Neurons In A Dish Play Flight Simulator for an amazing real-life confirmation.
The term "smart gel" is already in use; it refers to a class of liquids that have unusual properties in response to being compressed. Since smart gels expand or contract in response to external stimuli, they could be useful in applications such as an artificial pancreas that releases insulin inside the body in response to high sugar level. Smart gels might someday be used to make exotic foods, cosmetics, medicines, and sensors. See the article Smart Gels and Shake Gels.
I should also mention this enjoyable 1931 story by Dr. David H. Keller; you can read The Steam Shovel to see how the brain of an elephant can direct the operation of a great steam shovel.
('The Steam Shovel' by Dr. David H. Keller)
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Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Starfish
More Ideas
and Technology by Peter Watts
Tech news articles related to Starfish
Tech news articles related to works by Peter Watts
Head Cheese-related
news articles:
- Rat Neurons In A Dish Now Playing Flight Simulator
- Rat Brain Robot Uses Cultured Rat Neurons
- Rat Brain Robot Gets Upgrades
- Robots With Human Brains
- Making Drone Aircraft Smarter
- Artificial Microbrain Memory Cells
- Neuromorphic Brain-Chip Takes Flight
- Mini-Brains In A Dish
- Brainoware Reservoir Computation Of Biological Neural Networks
- Neuroplatform Human Brain Organoid Bioprocessor Uses Less Electricity
| Nuclear Plant Restarted To Power AI To Feed Us Dreams |
| Dino From Magical Toys An AI Companion To Children |
| AI Computer Chip Designs Passeth Human Understanding |
| Fine-Tune Your Infinite Book The Way You Want It |
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'...Anything was possible in my imaginary environment.'
'Somewhere in space, a chrome and blue automobile raced the green light of Earth.'
'That explains how it was so easy for me to remain motionless in midair...'
'We had discovered that metal was relatively impervious to the telepathic effect.'
'Detailed plans for the construction of the Gundstetter-Halone warp drive were flowing.'
'Do not waste your priceless company on the unappreciative folds of a sleep pod...'
'...so we've promised him a generous pension from the royalties.'
'Hocus-pocus religions and archaic weapons are no substitute for a good blaster at your side.'
