Closed in Unbodiliness: Robot Gordon and Brain Organoids

Abstract

The article reviews the relation between the body and the brain (consciousness). The phenomenon of the brain organoids is studied through the example of Kevin Warwick’s robotic brain Robert Gordon. These scientists claim that their research projects have direct applications in medicine and pharmacology industries, and suggest reduction of number of animal experiments via robotic brains tests. The author raises the questions whether we can compare brain and non-brain organoids (organs-on-a-chip) and comes to the conclusion that the use of isolated brains contains a danger from the ethical point of view. The laboratory brain organoids will develop with the progress of technologies, which could lead to the creation of a conscious subject, whose sufferings will go unnoticed. All the reasoning about the merger of biology and technology in the article is made within the frame of posthumanism and a strong conviction that we live in a hybrid reality.