Science
Scientists create synapses with salt and water by sciencealert.com
In a groundbreaking development at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and Sogang University in South Korea, researchers have engineered an artificial brain cell using a simple mixture of salt and water. This innovation emulates the human brain's synapses, the crucial junctions through which neurons transmit signals.
Named the iontronic memristor, this tiny device—about the width of a few human hairs—moves ions through a conical channel in response to electrical impulses. This movement alters the device's electrical conductivity, mimicking how neurons communicate and store information, a process akin to synaptic plasticity in the human brain.
This advance marks a significant step towards creating computer systems that could match the human brain's complexity and efficiency. It also demonstrates the adaptability of artificial synapses, which could be customized for specific tasks or configured in various combinations, paving the way for highly efficient and powerful computers.
