Scientists led by Google have mapped in detail not only the brain of an adult male fruit fly, but also its central nervous system, which carries command traffic between the brain and the body. While there are more than 166 thousand 700 neurons in the system called MaleCNS v1.0, approximately 11 thousand 700 different neuron types were classified. After the research, developers began to transfer this neural map to virtual environments. The fruit fly’s digital neural network has been introduced to games such as Doom, Super Mario, Beat Saber and Minecraft.
FLY BRAIN IN DOOM
One of the most notable experiments was carried out with Doom. The images in the game are converted into numerical data and transferred to the neurons representing the fly’s visual system, and the resulting neural activity is converted back into game commands. When the fly is damaged in the game, negative feedback is given to some dopamine circuits, creating a simple learning mechanism. Images spread on social media: “Is the fly really playing games?” and “Has a living creature been created inside the computer?” It brought with it questions.
NOT THE BRAIN, BUT THE MAP
But the scientific truth is a little different. What is transferred to the computer is not the fly’s mind or consciousness, but the brain’s connection map called “connectome”. It is possible to compare the connectome to a road map of a city. It can be seen which neuron connects to which, but this does not show what the brain is thinking or feeling at that moment. Therefore, there is no real fly living inside the computer. Scientists have a highly detailed digital model of the nervous system of a once-living fly.
CANADA FROM THE BRAIN
One of the points that makes the research important is that it maps not only the brain but also the central nervous system. In this way, it can be monitored through which nerve pathways a command coming from the brain reaches the leg or wing. The map is the product of approximately 10 years of work. The nervous system was cut into extremely thin sections and viewed millions of times using an electron microscope. Then, with the help of artificial intelligence, the three-dimensional structure of the neurons was created and the connections were checked one by one by the researchers. The development brings with it the inevitable question: Could the same method one day be applied to the human brain?
