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Thousand-Brains Systems: Sensorimotor Intelligence for Rapid, Robust Learning and Inference
Abstract. Current AI systems achieve impressive performance on many tasks, yet they lack core attributes of biological intelligence, including rapid, continual learning, representations grounded in se...
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https://www.quantamagazine.org/ctenophores-arent-just-beautiful-theyre-biological-wonders-20260916/
Using volume electron microscopy, Burkhardt’s lab identified 17 unique cell types in Mnemiopsis leidyi — 11 of which were previously unknown — in an all-important structure called the aboral organ (center). Together, these cells help ctenophores sense light, pressure, and gravity, and the aboral organ is tightly integrated with a continuous network of fused neurons that forms the nervous system. “Having more neurons condensed at a certain place, that’s one theory [for] how the very first brains evolved,” Burkhardt said. The research was published in March 2026(opens a new tab) in Science Advances.
Credit
Alexandre Jan, Michael Sars Centre/University of Bergen](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5p6nccydle7rv2gcczzz5tw5/bafkreibmbawmdiz3mv56oxcwtvsypbeojxr4qjxyz33rrvazcznszf4pt4)
