Consciousness in a Rotor? Science and Ethics of Potentially Conscious Human Cerebral Organoids
Consciousness in a Rotor? Science and Ethics of Potentially Conscious Human Cerebral Organoids
复制标题
转子中的意识？
作者：
Federico Zilio;A. Lavazza
摘要 人脑类器官是在实验室中生长的三维生物培养物，旨在尽可能模仿相应器官（大脑）的细胞组成、结构和功能。目前，大脑类器官缺乏人类大脑的血管和其他特征，但也能够协调电活动。它们已以前所未有的方式有效地用于研究多种疾病和神经系统的发育。对人类大脑类器官的研究正在以非常快的速度进行，其复杂性必然会提高。这就提出了一个问题：大脑类器官是否也能够发育出人类大脑的独特特征——意识。如果是这样的话，就会出现一些道德问题。在本文中，我们根据一些最具争议的神经科学理论讨论意识出现所必需的神经关联和限制。基于此，我们根据伦理和本体论论证，考虑潜在意识的大脑类器官的道德地位可能是什么。最后，我们提出了预防原则和一些进一步调查的线索。特别是，我们将最近一些实验的结果视为潜在的新型实体。
Abstract Human cerebral organoids are three-dimensional biological cultures grown in the laboratory to mimic as closely as possible the cellular composition, structure, and function of the corresponding organ, the brain. For now, cerebral organoids lack blood vessels and other characteristics of the human brain, but are also capable of having coordinated electrical activity. They have been usefully employed for the study of several diseases and the development of the nervous system in unprecedented ways. Research on human cerebral organoids is proceeding at a very fast pace and their complexity is bound to improve. This raises the question of whether cerebral organoids will also be able to develop the unique feature of the human brain, consciousness. If this is the case, some ethical issues would arise. In this article, we discuss the necessary neural correlates and constraints for the emergence of consciousness according to some of the most debated neuroscientific theories. Based on this, we consider what the moral status of a potentially conscious brain organoid might be, in light of ethical and ontological arguments. We conclude by proposing a precautionary principle and some leads for further investigation. In particular, we consider the outcomes of some very recent experiments as entities of a potential new kind.
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影响因子：
23.9
作者：
Trujillo, Cleber A.;Gao, Richard;Muotri, Alysson R.
通讯作者：
Muotri, Alysson R.
气液界面的大脑类器官产生具有功能输出的不同神经束
DOI：
10.1101/353151
发表时间：
2018
期刊：
--
影响因子：
--
作者：
Giandomenico S
通讯作者：
Giandomenico S
影响因子：
23.9
作者：
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通讯作者：
Levy O
影响因子：
23.9
作者：
Xiang, Yangfei;Tanaka, Yoshiaki;Park, In-Hyun
通讯作者：
Park, In-Hyun