Electronic Neurons for a New Learning Paradigm

Learning is the cornerstone of the growth and development of human beings. However, traditional learning methods are insufficient to meet the explosive growth of knowledge and information. Repeated training accounts for a large proportion of learning time, which significantly limits the improvement of learning efficiency. Inspired by cloud storage technology, electronic neurons (E-neuron) with functions similar to neurons in the brain are proposed. Implanted E-neurons can form new patterns of neural activity in circuits, including both E-neurons and biological neurons, which can transfer knowledge from electronic cloud devices to human beings without training. Herein, the feasibility of this concept is preliminarily demonstrated. Fiber neural electrodes (FNEs) made of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT) modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are used to form both dendrites and axons of E-neuron. After the implantation of an E-neuron in a mouse's brain, an electrical neural connection is created between the mitral cell and dorsolateral periaqueductal gray (dlPAG). A piece of knowledge similar to "The red light stops; the green light is all right." is then passed on to the mouse.