The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1928 - GROSS: Scientist Teach Human Foreskin To Play A Video Game

11 snips
Mar 10, 2026
A wild science story about cultured human neurons trained to play a video game and the ethical whirlpool it creates. A heated debate on treating human tissue and the slippery slope toward commodification. A political clash over praise for transgender children and what that says about modern Democrats. Breaking news takes on protests, international tensions, and courtroom drama surrounding jail staff deception.
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INSIGHT

Baby Foreskin Neurons Played Doom

  • Scientists cultured neurons from newborn foreskin and plugged them into a computer to play the video game Doom, demonstrating biological computation in vitro.
  • Michael Knowles highlights ethical questions about human tissue commodification and likens it to a modern Frankenstein scenario.
INSIGHT

Why Cultured Cells Aren't Persons

  • Knowles argues cultured brain cells are not persons because they lack a soul, framing the soul as the substantial form distinguishing living persons from matter.
  • He uses this to push back against fear of creating people but insists ethics must constrain such research.
INSIGHT

Biological Computing Raises Ethical Regression

  • Cortical Labs created DishBrain to exploit neuron-based computing, claiming biological neurons can learn faster than silicon chips.
  • Knowles warns this treats human-derived tissue as commodity and signals ethical regression despite technological progress.
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