<h2 class=" eplus-wrapper" id="crosshead">No brainer?</h2>

The scientists stare at the screen in shock. The video game is going well - really well, considering that the player is not conscious. The game is called Pong, a 1970s tennis classic. And the player is a group of human brain cells made by scientists in a lab.

In a thought experiment of the 1970s, we are asked to imagine a human brain stored in a vat by a mad scientist. The scientist has kept the brain alive and fed virtual stimuli directly into it, allowing it to experience a computer-generated world as "reality". The brain has no idea that the world it inhabits is an illusion. Is this still consciousness?¹

The experiment is used to explore a host of complex ethical, philosophical and scientific questions. But some scientists say that it exemplifies the fact that consciousness is purely a product of neuronsNeurons, also known as nerve cells, are cells in the nervous system that use chemical or electrical signals to transmit information throughout the body.  in the brain, set apart from the rest of the body. Furthermore, for some it proves that consciousness can be simulatedImitating the conditions of something, especially as a training exercise., although as of yet it cannot be created.

Most would agree that keeping a brain in a vat to simulate a false reality, or experimenting on a living brain in any capacity, is wrong. In fact, scientists had mostly ruled out experimenting on pre-mortemBefore death. brains at all, before the development of "mini brains".

Mini brains, or little collections of human brain cells grown in a lab dish, were first produced in 2013. These amorphousWithout a clearly defined shape. blobs, each around the size of a peppercorn, are not much to look at compared with the majesty of the human brain. However, scientists say they promise some of the greatest medical advancements of our century.

Now, researchers report that they have taught the cells to play Pong.² They claim that the mini brain, or "cerebral organoid" in more technical terms, learned to play the game within five minutes with a relatively high success rate. 

This may sound frivolousNot serious. , but according to the head of the project, the experiment has proved that they have cultivated the first ever "sentient" lab-grown brain. Others dispute the use of the word "sentient". In most dictionaries, this term includes experiencing feelings or sensations. All that this proves is that the brain can respond to its environment.

Still, experts say there is plenty to celebrate in this story. Mini brains are used to study a host of conditions such as microcephalyA birth defect causing a baby's head to be much smaller than normal, and often their brain too. , epilepsy, dementia, motor neurone disease and autism spectrum disorder.

But others are concerned at the lack of ethical debates moving in tandemTogether. with new research. Researchers are accelerating towards experimental subjects that may become conscious. This throws up moral questions which go far beyond mere science.

Our understanding of consciousness evolves constantly, yet it remains our biggest mystery. AristotleA student of Plato, tutor to Alexander the Great and the father of political philosophy. argued that humans have a "soul" where animals have mere instincts, but scientists like Francis CrickA British scientist known for his role in identifying DNA. and Anil SethA British neuroscientist and author who researches consciousness. have shown that animals have the same neurological structures as those which seem to create our own consciousness.³ 

Some have accused scientists working with consciousness of "playing god". Others welcome the advancement in our understanding. Now, it sits on the horizon of what is possible.

Yes: Consciousness is a scientific phenomenon which will become understandable and measurable with time. There is no reason why the brains, if they continue to grow, could not become conscious in the same way a human brain does as it grows in the womb.

No: Artificial brains will never become conscious. Consciousness is an abstract, unique quality which is created by a force much bigger than humankind. Whatever else science might achieve, it cannot create a soul in the lab.

Or... It is a possibility in the future, but still a distant one. These researchers have failed even to prove sentience, despite what they claim. We should celebrate the advancements in research that this heralds, rather than getting swamped in philosophical debates about consciousness.

Neurons - Neurons, also known as nerve cells, are cells in the nervous system that use chemical or electrical signals to transmit information throughout the body. 

Simulated - Imitating the conditions of something, especially as a training exercise.

Pre-mortem - Before death.

Amorphous - Without a clearly defined shape.

Frivolous - Not serious.

Microcephaly - A birth defect causing a baby's head to be much smaller than normal, and often their brain too.

Tandem - Together.

Aristotle - A student of Plato, tutor to Alexander the Great and the father of political philosophy.

Francis Crick - A British scientist known for his role in identifying DNA.

Anil Seth - A British neuroscientist and author who researches consciousness.