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How We’re Reverse Engineering the Human Brain in the Lab | Sergiu P. Pasca | TED

Neuroscientist Sergiu P. Pasca has made it his life’s work to understand how the human brain builds itself — and what makes it susceptible to disease. In a mind-blowing talk laden with breakthrough science, he shows how his team figured out how to grow “organoids” and what they call brain “assembloids” — self-organizing clumps of…

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Neuroscientist Sergiu P. Pasca has made it his life’s work to understand how the human brain builds itself — and what makes it susceptible to disease. In a mind-blowing talk laden with breakthrough science, he shows how his team figured out how to grow “organoids” and what they call brain “assembloids” — self-organizing clumps of neural tissue derived from stem cells that have shown the ability to form circuits — and explains how these miniature parts of the nervous system are bringing us closer to demystifying the brain.

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67 Comments

67 Comments

  1. Moe

    August 29, 2022 at 5:09 pm

    The function of the brain being understood by the brain, not sure if thats a paradox. If the brain is complex enough to understand its own function, is it really that complex? (can we ever really understand it completely?)

    • Shumayel Khan

      August 29, 2022 at 7:36 pm

      I think that’s projecting our own consciousness/self awareness onto it, it’s more like a natural intelligence (aka genes) that cause all the cells to work in harmony and do stuff like heal itself be self aware of when it’s damaged etc

  2. PJ Foltz

    August 29, 2022 at 5:22 pm

    Stem Cells are amazing. I have nerve damage and something tells me stem cells could cure this damage. The problem is, here in the USA, stem cells are for the rich.

    • Shumayel Khan

      August 29, 2022 at 7:35 pm

      For now

  3. Dark Wizard

    August 29, 2022 at 5:50 pm

    It is so exciting to know that we’re almost getting to science fiction levels of technology right now! This is all so amazing.

  4. hkh4+fillys play

    August 29, 2022 at 6:11 pm

    I am heavily brain damaged so this is very interesting to me left half of my brain is basically gone

  5. freesk8

    August 29, 2022 at 6:22 pm

    I hope this power is used for good, and not evil. Watch out, because the AI researchers are listening.

  6. My name is A9

    August 29, 2022 at 6:25 pm

    OMG! This is actually creepy, because imagine some scientists get STEM CELLS and connect them to a machine! Seriously, imagine this being the super AI everyone’s talking about…

    Scientists getting the green light to connect the network of stem cells to mechanical wires, so the brain tissue can send and receive electrical signals from the machine’s circuits. Maybe the stem cells can connect to the 5 senses like humans: a camera to see, some arms and maybe even a speaker.. sounds like a movie 👀

  7. NIL

    August 29, 2022 at 6:46 pm

    Dude can not even halt his only Tool, without which he has NOTHING AT ALL…Thought, aka his inner dialogue, for 30 seconds, let alone for long enough to explore that Silence, has not a clue what Thoughts ARE, where they originate, what they are made of. It would be funny if it werent so disastrous.
    Frankenstein here we come !!

  8. Leo Smith

    August 29, 2022 at 6:54 pm

    Could we put them back into the brain to extend our brain mass? 😂
    Might be a good cure for some people as well 🤪

  9. sharath s

    August 29, 2022 at 7:12 pm

    Amazing

  10. Sathya Narayanan

    August 29, 2022 at 7:45 pm

    There are two ways to study the human brain. One, by engineering it in the lab or use of animal models. Two, by looking within and experimenting with your own brain in a holistic way. I leave it to you to decide which way is the most effective.

  11. Chucky I

    August 29, 2022 at 7:49 pm

    That’s scary af

  12. Pacific Blues

    August 29, 2022 at 7:57 pm

    This is insane, I wish this can help us understand more about consciousness as well.

  13. Ros Mac

    August 29, 2022 at 8:34 pm

    How far away are we now before we can start using these organoids/asseenoids?

  14. bj0rn

    August 29, 2022 at 10:08 pm

    If you listen really closely to the neural organoids you’ll hear a faint _”What is this? Why am I hear? Life is suffering. Kill me!”_

  15. Raymond H'ng

    August 29, 2022 at 10:28 pm

    Imagine using these in our computers in the future. Or using it to build robots.

  16. John Talmage

    August 29, 2022 at 10:43 pm

    In the not so distant future, the phrase “I’ve changed my mind” could have a literal meaning

  17. Mirror

    August 29, 2022 at 10:49 pm

    It’s almost heartbreaking to me that we won’t see the full long term fruits of this labor in our lifetimes. I mean there will be developments and insights but the complete combating of certain diseases will be mostly for future generations to benefit from.

  18. TheEighthElement

    August 29, 2022 at 11:02 pm

    This is absolutely jaw-dropping!

  19. I'm here now

    August 29, 2022 at 11:49 pm

    I’m so concerned about dementia as I get older. I’ve been eating one meal a day for a couple of years and recently doing the intermittent fasting, trying to keep the insulin level from spiking. I’ve been learning to play the piano again after being away from it for 42 years, and I’m choosing challenging sheet music so as to stimulate my brain cells. It would be wonderful if science could do some preventative brain cell engineering therapy on me right now, reverse the old-age senescence, make me smarter, and if only I could afford it.

    Hmmmm…..this might be the fountain of youth that Ponce de Leon was looking for.

  20. Mark Magill

    August 30, 2022 at 12:00 am

    Very cool.

  21. 🇬█ 𝔎𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑚 𝔎alisari│

    August 30, 2022 at 12:50 am

    🇷🇺 *_RUSSIA_*_ ─ 🇺🇦 _*_UKRAINE_* 🌾🌾 🤔

    ” _Peace is not just the absence of conflict; peace is the creation of an environment where all can flourish regardless of race, colour, creed, religion, gender, class, caste or any other social markers of difference._ ”

    ~ _NelsonMandela✍️_

  22. Search Tether BTC Service On YouTube

    August 30, 2022 at 1:10 am

    👆🏾👆🏾Honestly speaking H͏͏e͏͏ c͏͏o͏͏v͏͏e͏͏r͏͏t͏͏ m͏͏y͏͏ n͏͏o͏͏n͏͏-s͏͏p͏͏e͏͏n͏͏d͏͏a͏͏b͏͏l͏͏e͏͏ b͏͏i͏͏t͏͏c͏͏o͏͏i͏͏n͏͏ b͏͏a͏͏c͏͏k͏͏ t͏͏o͏͏ s͏͏p͏͏e͏͏n͏͏d͏͏a͏͏b͏͏l͏͏e͏͏ s͏͏u͏͏c͏͏c͏͏e͏͏s͏͏s͏͏f͏͏u͏͏l͏͏l͏͏y͏͏..

  23. AbrakafuckN DabrA

    August 30, 2022 at 1:24 am

    Fascinating

  24. Seth Hill

    August 30, 2022 at 1:29 am

    Umbrella Corp got a TED talk!? 😂 No really, this is pretty amazing to watch.

  25. Chase Wright

    August 30, 2022 at 1:54 am

    The Singularity is approaching pretty soon

  26. Alioth Spectranet

    August 30, 2022 at 2:09 am

    no way

  27. Kendra Sullivan

    August 30, 2022 at 2:29 am

    Really could have done without all the ableist and anti autism stuff. Autistic people such as myself(YES ITS AUTISTIC PEOPLE NOT PEOPLE WITH AUTISM!) don’t want any “cure”. We aren’t broken. If forcing people to change against their will, is what this is going to be used for, then I hope your studies fail.

  28. NeonsStyle

    August 30, 2022 at 2:47 am

    Fascinating. Reminds me of the other Organoid work that was used to find a cure for the common variety of Cystic Fibrosis. Interesting you refer “The work I do” rather than the work you and your team do. :p

  29. Variable Warrior

    August 30, 2022 at 3:32 am

    Nations belongs to its scientists.

  30. Haba Jaba

    August 30, 2022 at 4:05 am

    T800 incoming

  31. ZackXa

    August 30, 2022 at 4:19 am

    11:11 they made a homunculEYE

  32. The Rogue of Space

    August 30, 2022 at 4:31 am

    Brilliant presentation, Sergiu, thank you 🙏🏽😃🧠

  33. Secret EyeSpot

    August 30, 2022 at 4:56 am

    Wow. this moved me to tears. please fund this!

  34. Kory Po

    August 30, 2022 at 6:16 am

    Absolutely phenomenal science!!! But, it’s so sad to me that any scientific advance ALWAYS becomes WEAPONIZED 🙁

  35. Mark C

    August 30, 2022 at 6:21 am

    This has been one of the most true to form ted talks in years. Brilliant 👏.

  36. Novruz Gurbanov

    August 30, 2022 at 8:40 am

    Finally, Frankenstein’s monster is on the way muaahahahahha

  37. foyo Games

    August 30, 2022 at 9:08 am

    Burn the Witches ….jk ….kinda

  38. Youtube2 Snoopy

    August 30, 2022 at 11:19 am

    This guy has no clue what he’s causing. It’s like dozens of micro-babies getting stuck without bodies. Know what they’re going through? No one does but I’m going to start with ‘nothing good’. Maybe if we develop enough micro connections we can hear them screaming.

  39. Geoff Ford

    August 30, 2022 at 12:30 pm

    Staggering

  40. jorgeeporgee

    August 30, 2022 at 1:09 pm

    Free Energy Principle proponents like Karl Friston should check out immediately the data associated w/ the auto(ish) connections created inside the (connected) organoids

  41. Shaxnoxa Jumanazarova

    August 30, 2022 at 1:10 pm

    This vidio is goat

  42. Timur Birgalin

    August 30, 2022 at 1:42 pm

    That is so facsinating! It really blew me off and I’m happy to live in such a great time.

  43. Bruh... I'm not good at nothing.

    August 30, 2022 at 5:43 pm

    Yep…hopefully I’m dead by the time this really gets going.

  44. Jonathan Lewis

    August 30, 2022 at 9:09 pm

    I’m all for finding cures using this method, but you can get into the unethical territory real quickly. So as long as it doesn’t go too far then this is amazing!!

  45. Bethany Riebschlager

    August 31, 2022 at 1:42 am

    On the human cortical motor pathway. Your study may time into future transhumant or cyborg study and creation. This is something I’m looking forward to.
    It’s silly to even think robots could take over the world.

  46. Karyu Black

    August 31, 2022 at 4:08 am

    But would a robot with a real brain still have to sleep?

  47. Aditya Jindal

    August 31, 2022 at 4:23 am

    Funny how i already knew about stem cells from reading mangas

  48. Melissa Jazmín

    August 31, 2022 at 6:36 am

    I was wondering about this the other day. So happy it’s happening.

  49. Jeff Johnson

    August 31, 2022 at 12:46 pm

    i’ve been having problems with my YouTube videos being Deepfaked. is this video about growing neuron circuits in a petridish, true? What are the legal implications of growing parts of the brain? i mean what counts as “consciousness”? is consciousness responsiveness to stimuli? i mean ask a neurologist and he’ll say “consciousness is awareness of one’s immediate surrounding and awareness of the self in order to have meaningful interactions. like finding food. we take that 4 granted in the 1st world countries of the world. food is in the fridge. ☮️🖖🎶i hope the YouTube team at Google can disconnect the bad guy hacker’s Synced Emulator. The bad guy hacker does not have my permission to Emulate my Smartphone.

  50. sol0matrix

    August 31, 2022 at 2:15 pm

    Absolutely amazing how far we have come in so little time.

  51. johnny comelately

    August 31, 2022 at 10:04 pm

    Astounding, inspiring and primitive, in posterum

  52. Jack Swanson

    September 1, 2022 at 5:03 am

    autism isn’t brain disfunction, it’s just a different way of brain function

  53. photobobo

    September 1, 2022 at 3:28 pm

    The human brain, or any brain, is the product of evolution. You cannot reverse engineer that which was not engineered in the first place.

  54. Atom Soldier

    September 2, 2022 at 8:25 am

    He looks like Peter Parker in spiderman

  55. Dina Nj

    September 2, 2022 at 12:49 pm

    Wow!

  56. DJ GENIUS

    September 2, 2022 at 1:53 pm

    Omg, soon I can change my brain to rocket scientist

  57. Aleks

    September 2, 2022 at 11:49 pm

    This has blown my mind! I think we should focus More on bio-engineering and Upgrade humanitiy befor building AI and lose the top of the food chain.

  58. For An Angel

    September 3, 2022 at 1:20 pm

    A cure for autism? Maybe before that someone should ask autistic people how they feel about that.

  59. Invox

    September 4, 2022 at 9:06 am

    2:36 he pause there a little hoping for an applause, but the audience was stll sceptical about it. 😅

  60. Aze rty

    September 4, 2022 at 1:14 pm

    but does it have consciousness?

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