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Not even NASA is spared from computer virus infection. In fact, not even the International Space Station which is orbiting hundreds of miles above the earth was spared. A low risk virus identified as W32.Gammima.AG was detected on some of the laptop computers aboard the ISS last July 25.

Symantec describes W32.Gammima.AG as a Windows-based worm which spreads by copying itself onto removable media and capable of stealing passwords for online games. It is classified as a very low risk virus on Symantec’s website.

Though the virus poses no threat to the space station, NASA is still serious in finding out how the virus managed to fly itself up into space. If a low-risk virus can do it, then there are many reasons to believe that a high-risk one can also make it up there.

Creating computer brains that have powerful artificial intelligence is hard to do but what if one can use existing brains instead? Meet Gordon. A robot powered by a biological brain made of rat neurons. Gordon’s brain is linked to its system via 60 electrodes that pick up electrical signals produced by the brain cells. Signals are also sent to the brain to tell Gordon if its nearing an object and therefore allow it to avoid hitting it.

This is not the first time that rat brains have been used to control machines. Years back, scientists managed to attach a bunch of rat neurons to a flight simulator which eventually learned to “fly” the simulator effectively.

So, how smart is it? Well, it’s not really a genius but to me it appears to be a faster and easier way to add independent intelligence to machines. I personally won’t be surprised if I see an entire house intelligently managed by a bunch of neurons taken from lab rats or some other animal.

Wouldn’t this spell doomsday? Well, I’m no expert at that but I have to admit that the idea of intelligent rat neurons powering anything that we humans rely on such as transportation, housing or even hospitals sounds scary. I know for sure that “computer brains” can be programmed not to harm humans but I’m not sure about that when it comes to biological brains.

But no worries because the better part of the story is that Gordon can help scientists understand how our brains learn which they hope will tell them more about diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stroke and brain injuries.

This post is partly based on the article “Robot Has Biological Brain“.