Life Imitates Art?

This is really exciting.... "Brain in a Dish Flies Flight Simulator". The short version is these scientists succeded in getting some rat brain cells in a petri dish to talk to a flight simulator via some electrodes, and the "brain" learned to control it. Now, the science is facinating all by itself, but, what makes it even more exciting to me is the fact that I read about this concept a couple of years ago in an incredibly enjoyable book "Starfish" and it's sequel "Maelstrom" by Peter Watts. I love when that happens. Here is another example: the space elevator, written about by Arthur C. Clarke in "Fountains of Paradise" many years ago. Carbon nanotubes are the reality which may make this happen. Here is another good space elevators link from Wikipedia. God, I just love these Wikimedia people.