The Man With No Brain? Neural Organoids, Decision-Making Economics, and Ethics
Alaina Shinde
The Man With No Brain? Neural Organoids, Decision-Making Economics, and Ethics The disembodied brain has long captivated both philosophy and pop culture. Putnam’s (1981) famous thought experiment of the “brain in a vat” explored a radical skepticism: if a brain were sustained outside the body and fed artificial stimuli, could it ever distinguish reality from illusion? Meanwhile, in Carl Reiner’s sci-fi comedy The Man With Two Brains (1983), Dr. Hfuhruhurr falls for the preserved brain of a charming woman, playing on the idea that consciousness, and even identity, could exist independently of the body.
While such concepts were once confined to metaphysical musings and sci-fi absurdity, modern neuroscience has made them eerily tangible. Since their discovery in 2014, neural organoids—tiny, lab-grown clusters of human brain stem cells—have, over the past decade, revolutionized the research of neurodevelopmental and patient-specific genetic disorders (Lancaster & Knoblich, 2014). However, these “mini-brains” have largely been used to model molecular and cellular mechanisms rather than complex behavior. That is beginning to change. Recent studies have started to explore how these miniature brains exhibit emergent activity patterns and consciousness, prompting new questions about their potential role in studying decision-making, particularly in neuroeconomics.
Neural Organoids: “Disease-in-a-Dish” Models Over the past decade, neural organoids have emerged as powerful models for studying genetic neurodevelopmental disorders. By differentiating human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into three-dimensional brain-like structures, researchers recapitulate aspects of brain development and pathology in vitro (Di Lullo & Kriegstein, 2017). For instance, studies such as one by Adeyeye et al. (2024) have utilized brain organoids to investigate the pharmacological characteristics of Fragile X syndrome, a leading genetic cause of intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders, and epileptic encephalopathies. These organoids have provided insights into the accelerated differentiation and hyperexcitability of neurons associated with the disorders, which are difficult to capture in traditional 2D cultures or animal models.
Transition to Behavioral Modeling and Neuroeconomics While the primary application of neural organoids has been in modeling genetic disorders, recent advancements suggest their potential in studying complex behaviors, particularly those related to decision-making and neuroeconomics (Zhao et al., 2025). Neuroeconomics seeks to understand how individuals make economic decisions by integrating insights from neuroscience, psychology, and economics. Now, scientists can use neural organoids to model the neural circuits involved in valuation, risk assessment, and choice behavior (Raj, 2023).
For example, Prospect Theory, a cornerstone of behavioral economics, suggests that individuals evaluate potential losses and gains asymmetrically, often overweighing losses relative to equivalent gains (Fox & Poldrack, 2009). Studies have identified brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex, striatum, and insula as critical nodes within decision-making networks (Sonuga-Barke & Fairchild, 2012). Emotion regulation and affective responses also significantly influence economic decisions, as neuroimaging studies have shown how emotional processing interacts with cognitive evaluation during economic tasks (Heilman et al., 2016). Understanding these neural mechanisms through organoid models could offer deeper insights into how emotions impact choice-making and risk-taking.
This transition raises several questions: Can neural organoids, devoid of sensory inputs and environmental interactions, authentically replicate the neural processes underlying decision-making? If so, what are the implications for our understanding of human behavior, and how might this influence economic theories and models? The use of organoids in behavioral studies necessitates a reevaluation of the ethical frameworks governing their use, as the line between biological model and sentient entity becomes increasingly blurred.
Ethical Dilemmas of Disembodied Decision-Making Central to ethical concerns on the application of neural organoids in behavioral research is the question of consciousness and moral status (Browning & Veit, 2025): At what point does a neural organoid possess qualities that warrant ethical consideration akin to that afforded to sentient beings?
The Global Workspace Theory (GWT) and the Integrated Information Theory (IIT) offer frameworks for understanding consciousness that could be applied to neural organoids (Lavazza, 2020). GWT posits that consciousness arises from information-sharing across brain regions, suggesting that a system capable of such internal communication (even without sensory input) may exhibit conscious properties (Dehaene, 2014). IIT, on the other hand, proposes that consciousness is a quantifiable product of the system’s ability to integrate information, with higher values indicating greater consciousness (Doerig et al., 2019).
The “brain in a vat” becomes pertinent in this context. If an organoid demonstrates integrated information processing indicative of decision-making, does it possess a rudimentary form of consciousness? This scenario compels us to reconsider the boundaries between human and artificial intelligence, the nature of experience, and the ethical implications of creating entities capable of complex information processing.
Ultimately, however, most experts argue that current neural organoids are far from reaching consciousness under either IIT or GWT—even the nickname “mini-brain” is controversial, discouraged by scientists who fear it elicits ideas of functioning, vat-sealed brains, when organoids can be better likened to unfeeling balls of cells. But these two theories certainly highlight the challenge of defining consciousness for the sake of public perception and advancements in organoid development.
Societal Implications By providing a biological basis for understanding decision-making processes, organoid studies could lead to more accurate models of consumer behavior, risk assessment, and market dynamics. This enhanced understanding could inform policies and strategies in various sectors, from finance to public health.
However, such studies also have great potential for misuse: Corporations or governments might exploit knowledge gained from organoid research to manipulate consumer behavior, infringe on individual autonomy, or exacerbate socioeconomic inequalities. For instance, if neural organoids can predict responses to certain stimuli, this information could be used to design marketing strategies that unduly influence consumer choices, raising concerns about consent and free will (Stanton et al., 2016).
The Man With No Brain: A New Era of Disembodied Decision-Making In The Man With Two Brains, Dr. Hfuhruhurr’s love interest is just a brain in a jar—but she has agency, personality, and wit. Today’s organoids are far from possessing identity or sentience, yet they raise questions that mirror this absurdity. If we can model the mechanics of decision-making in a lab-grown brain, do we cross a line into cognitive replication?
Unlike Steve Martin’s star-crossed romance, however, the organoids today lack identity and sensation. For now, the “Man With No Brain” remains an experiment rather than an existential crisis. But if these lab-grown neural constructs can simulate the mechanics of decision-making, does that grant them any form of cognitive status? And if so, do we risk creating entities that process information in ways we neither understand nor control?
Perhaps, one day, we’ll look back on these early neural experiments the way Hfuhruhurr viewed his bottled beloved: with both awe and uneasy recognition. About the Author Alaina Shinde is a student at Edison High School.
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