Scientists Create First Brain-like Computer Using Water and Salt

Theoretical physicists at Utrecht University, together with experimental physicists at Sogang University in South Korea, have succeeded in building an artificial synapse. This synapse works with water and salt and provides the first evidence that a system using the same medium as our brains can process complex information. The results were published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In the pursuit of enhancing the energy efficiency of conventional computers, scientists have long turned to the human brain for inspiration. They aim to emulate its extraordinary capacity in various ways. These efforts have led to the development of brain-like computers, which diverge from traditional binary processing to embrace analog methods akin to our brains. However, while our brains operate using water and dissolved salt particles called ions as their medium, most current brain-inspired computers rely on conventional solid materials.