Scientists enable hydrogel to play and improve at Pong video game

Released in 1972, Pong was one of the world’s first video games. Photograph: Manchester Daily Express/SSPL/Getty Images

Researchers have found a soft and squidgy water-rich gel is not only able to play the video game Pong, but gets better at it over time.

The findings come almost two years after brain cells in a dish were taught how to play the 1970s classic, a result the researchers involved said showed “something that resembles intelligence”.