Disembodied Rat Brain Controls Robot Scientists in England have done something that makes all the science fiction you’ve ever watched or read seem suddenly plausible. They’ve taken brain cells (neurons) from the brain of a rat, and put them in a bell jar. Creepy enough already, but just wait. They also made a little robot, with sensors that “speak” to the rat’s brain via bluetooth. The data the sensors collect is transmitted to the actual brain. In the bell jar. Then, the brain (in the bell jar) sends commands back to the robot’s wheels. Yes. In this way, the disembodied rat brain actually learns, and, using its robot body, figures out how to avoid walls and scamper about like a normal rat. The most amazing part? Since the brain cells only live for about 3 months, they’ve used several different rats. And guess what? The robot behaved differently with every change. This is a real, live, rat cyborg. Now you’ve officially seen everything (let’s hope!) Watch the video, it’s totally creepy and amazing.