Teletext and a tiny Intel 486 computer can most certainly run DOOM, but what about growing rat neurons and then teaching them the game? The Thought Emporium decided to do just that by using cortical rat neurons, but training them was not going to be an easy task since they need to learn how to fire / change weapons, move forwards / backwards, and then rotate the character.
The process involves connecting the neurons to a 46 electrode array hooked up to a PC that are triggered when certain movements in the game require them to be. These neurons then go on to form clusters over time and even clumps that end up being too big for just playing DOOM. Each one of these neurons were rewarded for killing enemies and then punished for losing lives.
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The reason we chose DOOM is because it’s a sufficiently complex task to be impressive but it can be deconstructed into a simple signal problem if you set it up properly. DOOM only looks 3D. The character is basically just an arrow, enemies are circles, hazards are just shapes, all on a 2D surface. The game just renders it to look 3D,” said The Thought Emporium.
