Researchers like Sebastian Seung are mapping neural wiring in simple organisms, having traced 139,255 neurons and 55 million synapses in a fly brain using electron microscopy and image-analysis software. Some scientists speculate this connectomics work could eventually enable 'whole-brain emulation,' though a 2025 PLOS One survey of 312 neuroscientists estimated this is unlikely before 2125. Two companies, Nectome and Sparks Brain Preservation, are now offering to chemically preserve human brains using techniques similar to fly-brain fixation, and say they want to work with terminally ill patients using medical aid in dying laws, now legal in 13 states and Washington, DC.
technologyreview.com
· 2026-10-15
A man with a slow-progressing, genetically rare form of ALS became the first person to receive an antisense oligonucleotide therapy designed specifically to target his causal mutation. A year later, he reported improved symptoms and remains able to work as a physician, according to results published in Med.
nature.com
· 2026-09-18
Software engineer Alex Wormuth built a simulated fruit fly brain using Google and HHMI Janelia's newly released connectome data, then wired it to control Doom frame by frame. Each frame generates thousands of brightness and color inputs that feed into the simulated brain's 25.6 million connections, translating neural activity into in-game controls, including a pain response modeled on real dopamine receptors.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-13
Saab has unveiled the A3, a tailless, supersonic, double-delta-wing uncrewed combat aircraft concept designed to fly alongside its Gripen E fighters starting in the early 2030s. The company positions the A3 as a high-end 'peer-capable' companion rather than a low-cost attritable drone, and views it as a technological bridge toward Sweden's planned crewed fighter replacement in the 2040s.
aviationweek.com
· 2026-09-01
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