This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/technology/8164060.stm
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Artificial brain '10 years away' | Artificial brain '10 years away' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A detailed, functional artificial human brain can be built within the next 10 years, a leading scientist has claimed. | A detailed, functional artificial human brain can be built within the next 10 years, a leading scientist has claimed. |
| Henry Markram, director of the Blue Brain Project, has already built elements of a rat brain. | Henry Markram, director of the Blue Brain Project, has already built elements of a rat brain. |
| He told the TED global conference in Oxford that a synthetic human brain would be of particular use finding treatments for mental illnesses. | He told the TED global conference in Oxford that a synthetic human brain would be of particular use finding treatments for mental illnesses. |
| Around two billion people are thought to suffer some kind of brain impairment, he said. | Around two billion people are thought to suffer some kind of brain impairment, he said. |
| "It is not impossible to build a human brain and we can do it in 10 years," he said. | "It is not impossible to build a human brain and we can do it in 10 years," he said. |
| "And if we do succeed, we will send a hologram to TED to talk." | "And if we do succeed, we will send a hologram to TED to talk." |
| 'Shared fabric' | 'Shared fabric' |
| The Blue Brain project was launched in 2005 and aims to reverse engineer the mammalian brain from laboratory data. | The Blue Brain project was launched in 2005 and aims to reverse engineer the mammalian brain from laboratory data. |
| In particular, his team has focused on the neocortical column - repetitive units of the mammalian brain known as the neocortex. | In particular, his team has focused on the neocortical column - repetitive units of the mammalian brain known as the neocortex. |
| The team are trying to reverse engineer the brain | The team are trying to reverse engineer the brain |
| "It's a new brain," he explained. "The mammals needed it because they had to cope with parenthood, social interactions complex cognitive functions. | "It's a new brain," he explained. "The mammals needed it because they had to cope with parenthood, social interactions complex cognitive functions. |
| "It was so successful an evolution from mouse to man it expanded about a thousand fold in terms of the numbers of units to produce this almost frightening organ." | "It was so successful an evolution from mouse to man it expanded about a thousand fold in terms of the numbers of units to produce this almost frightening organ." |
| And that evolution continues, he said. "It is evolving at an enormous speed." | And that evolution continues, he said. "It is evolving at an enormous speed." |
| Over the last 15 years, Professor Markram and his team have picked apart the structure of the neocortical column. | Over the last 15 years, Professor Markram and his team have picked apart the structure of the neocortical column. |
| "It's a bit like going and cataloguing a bit of the rainforest - how may trees does it have, what shape are the trees, how many of each type of tree do we have, what is the position of the trees," he said. | "It's a bit like going and cataloguing a bit of the rainforest - how may trees does it have, what shape are the trees, how many of each type of tree do we have, what is the position of the trees," he said. |
| "But it is a bit more than cataloguing because you have to describe and discover all the rules of communication, the rules of connectivity." | |
| The project now has a software model of "tens of thousands" of neurons - each one of which is different - which has allowed them to digitally construct an artificial neocortical column. | The project now has a software model of "tens of thousands" of neurons - each one of which is different - which has allowed them to digitally construct an artificial neocortical column. |
| Although each neuron is different, the team has found the patterns of circuitry in different brains have common patterns. | Although each neuron is different, the team has found the patterns of circuitry in different brains have common patterns. |
| "Even though your brain may be smaller, bigger, may have different morphologies of neurons - we do actually share the same fabric," he said. | "Even though your brain may be smaller, bigger, may have different morphologies of neurons - we do actually share the same fabric," he said. |
| "And we think this is species specific, which could explain why we can't communicate across species." | "And we think this is species specific, which could explain why we can't communicate across species." |
| World view | World view |
| To make the model come alive, the team feeds the models and a few algorithms into a supercomputer. | To make the model come alive, the team feeds the models and a few algorithms into a supercomputer. |
| "You need one laptop to do all the calculations for one neuron," he said. "So you need ten thousand laptops." | "You need one laptop to do all the calculations for one neuron," he said. "So you need ten thousand laptops." |
| The research could give insights into brain disease | The research could give insights into brain disease |
| Instead, he uses an IBM Blue Gene machine with 10,000 processors. | Instead, he uses an IBM Blue Gene machine with 10,000 processors. |
| Simulations have started to give the researchers clues about how the brain works. | Simulations have started to give the researchers clues about how the brain works. |
| For example, they can show the brain a picture - say, of a flower - and follow the electrical activity in the machine. | For example, they can show the brain a picture - say, of a flower - and follow the electrical activity in the machine. |
| "You excite the system and it actually creates its own representation," he said. | "You excite the system and it actually creates its own representation," he said. |
| Ultimately, the aim would be to extract that representation and project it so that researchers could see directly how a brain perceives the world. | Ultimately, the aim would be to extract that representation and project it so that researchers could see directly how a brain perceives the world. |
| But as well as advancing neuroscience and philosophy, the Blue Brain project has other practical applications. | But as well as advancing neuroscience and philosophy, the Blue Brain project has other practical applications. |
| For example, by pooling all the world's neuroscience data on animals - to create a "Noah's Ark", researchers may be able to build animal models. | For example, by pooling all the world's neuroscience data on animals - to create a "Noah's Ark", researchers may be able to build animal models. |
| "We cannot keep on doing animal experiments forever," said Professor Markram. | "We cannot keep on doing animal experiments forever," said Professor Markram. |
| It may also give researchers new insights into diseases of the brain. | It may also give researchers new insights into diseases of the brain. |
| "There are two billion people on the planet affected by mental disorder," he told the audience. | "There are two billion people on the planet affected by mental disorder," he told the audience. |
| The project may give insights into new treatments, he said. | The project may give insights into new treatments, he said. |
| The TED Global conference runs from 21 to 24 July in Oxford, UK. | The TED Global conference runs from 21 to 24 July in Oxford, UK. |