For the first time, researchers have simulated neurological junctions called synapses using the same water and salt ingredients the brain uses, contributing to an emerging field that combines biology with electronics called iontronics.

It represents a crucial advancement toward computers not only capable of mimicking the communication patterns of the human brain but also utilizing the same medium.

Shaped like a cone with a solution of water and salt inside, the iontronic memristor measures just 150 by 200 micrometers – the width of about three or four human hairs side-by-side. Electrical impulses cause ions to move through the cone-shaped channel, with variations in the electrical charge leading to variations in the ion movement. The change in how the synapse conducts electricity can be measured and decoded to understand what the input signal was, representing a kind of memory.