Constructing artificial neurons with functional parameters comprehensively matching biological values

Fu, S., Gao, H., et al. (2025).

Nature Communications, 16(1).

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63640-7

Abstract

The efficient signal processing in biosystems is largely attributed to the powerful constituent unit of a neuron, which encodes and decodes spatiotemporal information using spiking action potentials of ultralow amplitude and energy. Constructing devices that can emulate neuronal functions is thus considered a promising step toward advancing neuromorphic electronics and enhancing signal flow in bioelectronic interfaces. However, existent artificial neurons often have functional parameters that are distinctly mismatched with their biological counterparts, including signal amplitude and energy levels that are typically an order of magnitude larger. Here, we demonstrate artificial neurons that not only closely emulate biological neurons in functions but also match their parameters in key aspects such as signal amplitude, spiking energy, temporal features, and frequency response. Moreover, these artificial neurons can be modulated by extracellular chemical species in a manner consistent with neuromodulation in biological neurons. We further show that an artificial neuron can connect to a biological cell to process cellular signals in real-time and interpret cell states. These results advance the potential for constructing bio-emulated electronics to improve bioelectronic interface and neuromorphic integration.

Here are some thoughts:

This research marks a significant advancement in neuromorphic engineering by creating artificial neurons that closely emulate biological ones not just in function, but in their core physical parameters. Crucially for psychological science, these neurons can be chemically modulated, with their firing rate changing in response to neurotransmitters like dopamine, replicating key neuromodulatory dynamics. They also exhibit biologically realistic stochasticity and can interface with living cells in real-time, successfully interpreting cellular states. This breakthrough paves the way for more seamless and adaptive bioelectronic interfaces, offering potential for future prosthetics and neural models that more authentically replicate the neurochemical and dynamic complexity underlying behavior and cognition.

The practices of do-it-yourself brain stimulation: implications for ethical considerations and regulatory proposals

Anna Wexler
J Med Ethics doi:10.1136/medethics-2015-102704

Abstract

Scientists and neuroethicists have recently drawn attention to the ethical and regulatory issues surrounding the do-it-yourself (DIY) brain stimulation community, which comprises individuals stimulating their own brains with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for self-improvement. However, to date, existing regulatory proposals and ethical discussions have been put forth without engaging those involved in the DIY tDCS community or attempting to understand the nature of their practices. I argue that to better contend with the growing ethical and safety concerns surrounding DIY tDCS, we need to understand the practices of the community. This study presents the results of a preliminary inquiry into the DIY tDCS community, with a focus on knowledge that is formed, shared and appropriated within it. I show that when making or acquiring a device, DIYers (as some members call themselves) produce a body of knowledge that is completely separate from that of the scientific community, and share it via online forums, blogs, videos and personal communications. However, when applying tDCS, DIYers draw heavily on existing scientific knowledge, posting links to academic journal articles and scientific resources and adopting the standardised electrode placement system used by scientists. Some DIYers co-opt scientific knowledge and modify it by creating their own manuals and guides based on published papers. Finally, I explore how DIYers cope with the methodological limitations inherent in self-experimentation. I conclude by discussing how a deeper understanding of the practices of DIY tDCS has important regulatory and ethical implications.

The article is here.

Day Care Centers Using GPS To Track Kids On Outings, Sweden

By Catharine Paddock, PhD
Medical News Today

Some day care centers in Sweden are starting to use GPS and other electronic devices to keep track of kids when they go on supervised outings, according to an Associated Press report from Stockholm on Wednesday. Some have welcomed the idea as a practical solution, while others say it raises ethical concerns and invades children's privacy.

Par Strom, an author and commentator who specializes in the evolution of IT and its consequences for businesses, individuals and society, told Swedish news agency Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå (TT) he could see both sides of the argument about using technology to track kids, and was personally in two minds about it.

"On the one hand I can see the practical advantages in some situations. At the same time you get children used to constant surveillance at a very young age," said Strom.

The concerns are sufficient to raise the interest of Sweden's Data Inspection Board, who say they are likely to investigate the matter. The Board works to protect individual privacy in the information society. Their team leader, Eric Janzon, said the system could be "quite harmless", or it could "affect aspects of privacy".

For instance, there could be problems around storing personal data, or details of a person's whereabouts.

"It depends on what kind of information you feed into the system and the purpose of the use," said Janzon.

And even if it is initially developed for a good purpose, it could later be misused, he added.

Some parents are concerned that the technology is a means to replace staff at day care centers. Others are also worried about the ethical implications, and whether putting children under close surveillance could affect their sense of privacy as they get older.

But the day care centers appear to see it as a very useful practical device.

One day care center principal told the Associated Press they use the devices when they take the children on supervised excursions in the forest. The children wear a special vest that incorporates a transmitter, allowing staff to see where they are on a screen.

Monica Blank-Hedqvist, who runs a center in the city of Borlange, said the system is "excellent, it has been only positive for us".

She said they use it as extra security: they have three supervisors for 20 children, and the system quickly tells them when any children stray too far.

One of the companies supplying GPS devices is Purple Scout. Their spokesman said they did not store personal information, and they see the trackers as an aid to staff, not a replacement. They are currently testing their system at a day care center in the south of Sweden, but already have orders from many private centers, he said.

But some parents would prefer the money was used to pay for more staff. That was also the opinion of Malin Wollin, a columnist with the Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet. Wollin, who has three children, said it was a shame the money and energy was not going on salaries instead, noting that technology can sometimes "play up": anyone who has a cell phone or a computer knows this, she said.

The idea of tracking kids with GPS is not new, and has been raising controversy ever since the devices started appearing on websites, with benefits statements designed to bring peace of mind to anxious parents.

The entire story can be found here.