Fly Spa: full fruit fly connectome (166,700 neurons) simulated live in your browser
juanbenet · x · 2026-09-12
Anshu built 'Fly Spa', a browser-based simulation of a fruit fly wired to the real MaleCNS connectome mapped by Janelia, MRC LMB and Google Research — 166,700 modeled neurons and 24.99 million mapped connections, running fully client-side (49 MB download, 201 MB connectivity).
Sensory inputs (scent, touch, taste) drive the mapped network, and motor output animates the virtual fly. The joke: sickos kept forcing the fly to play video games and trade bitcoin, so this spa lets it relax with sunlight, massages and unlimited fruit. The author notes it's an approximation, not a validated recreation of a living fly. Juan Benet amplified it: 'We're getting a lot closer to fly heaven.'
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