scipaWe're so close to making a computer brain
December 6th 2007 18:26
It'd be like the next step in evolution, like the first footed fish stepping on his limbless brothers head to pull himself up on shore. Ri-i-i-ght...
Computational neuroscience hit a sexy milestone last week when Swiss and IBM researchers managed to simulate the neocortical column with a computer. Wikipedia on the cortical column:
"A cortical column, or hypercolumn, is a group of neurons in the brain cortex which can be successively penetrated by a probe inserted perpendicularly to the cortical surface, and which have nearly identical receptive fields."
The computer simulation appears to behave identically to the human version, suggesting that we may be able to simulate an entire human brain with a computer - within 10 years!
From the article:
"The model of part of the brain was completed last year, says Markram. But now, after extensive testing comparing its behavior with results from biological experiments, he is satisfied that the simulation is accurate enough that the researchers can proceed with the rest of the brain."
The next step: simulating the entire brain. Naming it HAL, perhaps putting it in change of a defense network called SkyNet.
Then just flip the switch and sit back. Most likely, the computer brain won't decide that humans are an infestation on the planet, like a virus. Most likely...
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QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
Actually, I think it is a great leap much needed in many ways, but, because the extreme right wing facist style corporate heads and government military types will become directly involved....watch your backs!
cheers and it'll be the end of human chess champions!
fog
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