http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QPiF4-iu6g&feature=related

Of course, human applications and the potential for Cyborg immortality are compelling...

On a certain level, it is pretty disturbing. The music doesn't help in belaying that feeling.

Is it for real? (I don't feel like checking myself.)

I didn't check either, didn't feel like going on a fact checking mission. If it is real it is a bit disturbing. Reminds of me of Jeff Goldblum's line from Jurassic Park "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn't stop to think if they should."

and

"God help us; we're in the hands of engineers."

It is real. The operative term, however, is "neurons" not "brain."

They built one at Georgia Tech.

It reminded me of John Hersey's "The Child Buyer."

However, I don't think there's really anything wrong with this line of research, and I can see a great usefulness for it in the area of prosthetics.

That's not quite the same thing. At least not necessarily. If the original video means what it says that the actual "brain" is kept alive in a bell jar, then that is quite different from what Potter's group did (with neurons on a silicon chip).

Because the original video is being distributed by "Diagonal View" - a marketing / advertising / production company that produces "entertaining video content" - I am inclined to think it is a viral hoax video.

http://www.diagonal-view.com/

At least unless and until someone can find more convincing evidence that it is real.

Okay, and that would be me.

Here we go:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7559150.stm

Thanks. And note that the robot does use rat neurons, not an intact rat brain. I agree that the use of a whole brain would be unaesthetic.

Would a Pinky and the Brain reference be appropriate here?
Much more likely we'll see military use way before medical use in the quest for world domination.

The scientists are getting their project ideas from old sci-fi movies.
Donovan's Brain 1953
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnlJ1Lrr3IU