A common theme in science fiction is the creation of a brain in a lab. The concept of actually being able to create an organ that thinks might seem far-fetched, but research on how to do that is happening. Scientists have already created "organoid" brains in a lab. They are tiny bits of functioning brain tissue, but they were lab created. Scientists are currently looking at how to create a mechanical brain, but the task is proving to be quite difficult. The human brain is capable of processing everything we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. The cerebral cortex has 150 trillion connections that allow people to learn and form memories. These connections are always changing too. Replicating that with computer chips isn't easy.
Current projects in the UK, Germany, and the United States are showing promise with implantable chips and artificial intelligence, however, it still takes a super computer 40 minutes to accurately process what takes the brain one second. If a computer chip or automated brain were developed, there would still be the issue of ethics. Could an automated computer brain develop a conscience? The work to understand the human mind will have to continue since it's not possible to develop an artificial brain when we don't yet fully know how the human brain works.
