Biological Supercomputers Powered By ATP Could Be A Reality Some Day

hypnosec writes: Our cells are powered by Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and according to a new study, they could be a power source for the next generation of biological supercomputers capable of processing information very quickly and accurately using parallel networks in the same way that massive electronic super computers do. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the paper describes a model of biological computer that is effectively a very complex network in a very small area, and is based on a combination of geometrical modeling and engineering know-how (on the nano scale). Researchers involved with the study claim that it is the first step in showing that this kind of biological supercomputer can actually work.

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[ClickOnThis]

I don't understand.
-- B4

Old news

[penguinoid]

I'm a biological supercomputer that runs on ATP. Well, sugar and caffeine really, but it's converted to ATP in between.

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[Anonymous Coward]

I'm greener than you. I run on an ethanol blend.

So there.

Re:Old news

[penguinoid]

In case you're wondering, use a hardware-based neural net to learn and store data. All my components are fully biodegradable and non-toxic. My capabilities include real-time video processing and object identification, full voice recognition, and the ability to pass the Turing Test. You can download both my blueprints and full base code here [nih.gov]. The full download is pretty small; smaller than a modern computer game in fact.

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[MaxSmoke]

I bet you release a toxic cloud time to time..

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[JoeMerchant]

The full download is pretty small; smaller than a modern computer game in fact.

That's just the wetware design, you forgot to mention the 30+ years of programming effort it took to get you up to being a reasonably functional member of the collective.

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[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

Garbage in shit out

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[Solandri]

I wouldn't recommend this. I've tried using it for a while and it's very finicky. For one, it needs to be maintained within a tight temperature range of between about 35-42 C. Allow it to drift outside that range even for a few minutes and you're looking at total loss of the hardware and neural net. It has some built-in temperature regulating capability, but still needs supplemental insulation and heating at cooler temperatures, and active cooling at higher temps. Blocking the air vent results in syste

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[codeButcher]

In soviet Russia, the Matrix exists in you.

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[hene]

Once they get this production ready, I hope that bug fixes are compatible because I have a long list of those.

• Algorithms that background process(es) use to defragmentation and dedublicating data are severely flawed and continually cause data loss.
• The storage medium is ridiculously unstable and corrupts data in unacceptable rate.
• When retrieving from the cold storage, latency is too high to be practical in almost any real world situation.

Just to mention a few. Could use that quicker information processi

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[mysidia]

Perhaps we're 3 years away from an even more complete lab demo, but better and better lab demos are aw way of eventually amounting to something too.

Is it the new thing on slashdot to criticize developments that are 'lab demos' ? I just noted This [slashdot.org] the other day, on the new research breakthrough in super batteries.

Perpetually 10 years away, along with the solar panel to fill it. We'll have year of the Linux Desktop about 9 years before you can buy one of these batteries on eBay

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[Dcnjoe60]

Is it the new thing on slashdot to criticize developments that are 'lab demos' ?

No, we've been critizing lab demos for years. Could be because most lab demos never make it past that stage and will always remain a novelty. Kind of like you can power a clock from a potato, but it doesn't scale very well as an energy source.

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[KGIII]

I have not crunched any numbers but I bet the folks who say this are right more often than not. How often do lab demos turn into viable commercial products?

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[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

What's really sneaky is that every lab demo of a biological supercomputer is actually a production-ready biological supercomputer showing off some crude little toy that will be 5 years out for the next few decades.

The trick is just to ignore whatever is on the benchtop and grab the guy talking about it.

Not no, but hell no!

[Hartree]

My office mates are already bad enough at stealing my Doritos without automating it!

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Vaccinations?

[KermodeBear]

Would you have to get a vaccination to prevent viruses?

PNAS?

[Stoutlimb]

If I worked there, how would I tell people?

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[wbr1]

We had some female visitors to the big PSAS building today....

ATP source?

[Anonymous Coward]

so finally humans are going to be milked to produce ATP.. where have I seen this in the movies.. matrix?

Computer viruses could someday be real viruses

[BlueCoder]

It also means a biological computer could catch a cold.

Talk about hacking...

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[xtal]

The most complicated and efficient computing device in the known universe is the human brain. Nothing else comes even remotely close.

Engineering organs also provides the option to well, engineer brains.

Interesting times.

Did I miss something?

[Dcnjoe60]

Our cells are powered by Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and according to a new study, they could be a power source for the next generation of biological supercomputers

When did we get this generation of biological supercomputers?

Mentats

[robinsonne]

I for one welcome our future biologic, ATP-powered Mentat overlords.

Neal Stephenson

[The-Ixian]

Anyone else think of that underwater orgy thing from Diamond Age when you read this summary?