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Nematode Neural System Uploaded to a Computer and Trained to Balance a Pole

tuwien.ac.at

11–20 of 38 posts

Re: Nematode Neural System Uploaded to a Computer and Trained to Balance a Pole

#11
post #2

What a confusing title. Tldr; NN based on real life nematode learned a simple thing.

This is why I always read the HN comments first. Thank you.

Me too, I tend to decide whether to read an article based on the comments. I find I hardly ever read an article.

Re: Nematode Neural System Uploaded to a Computer and Trained to Balance a Pole

#12
I vaguely recall that experts consider artificial neural networks to be a very gross approximation of biological ones. They often state that one reason we don't have AI today is that we don't really know how the brain and the neurons it is made of work.

Then I wonder : how does openworm deal with that lack of knowledge? Is there any chance progress in modeling C. Elegans could be used to improve machine learning?

Re: Nematode Neural System Uploaded to a Computer and Trained to Balance a Pole

#13
post #10
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe The Great Filter (in the context of the Fermi paradox) is this: People printing their own organisms? (only half-joking)

More likely people uploading themselves into a virtual world, securing the planetary data center and dialating time to feel like everyone lives forever in the manner of their choosing.

There’s something sad about a civilization closing its eyes and turning inward on itself instead of exploring the vast universe that it has been presented with.

Re: Nematode Neural System Uploaded to a Computer and Trained to Balance a Pole

#14
post #10
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe The Great Filter (in the context of the Fermi paradox) is this: People printing their own organisms? (only half-joking)

More likely people uploading themselves into a virtual world, securing the planetary data center and dialating time to feel like everyone lives forever in the manner of their choosing.

What makes you think you can simulate an atom faster than an atom does?

Re: Nematode Neural System Uploaded to a Computer and Trained to Balance a Pole

#16
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More likely people uploading themselves into a virtual world, securing the planetary data center and dialating time to feel like everyone lives forever in the manner of their choosing.

What makes you think you can simulate an atom faster than an atom does?

The theory is you wouldn't need to simulate every atom any more than you do in a video game.

Re: Nematode Neural System Uploaded to a Computer and Trained to Balance a Pole

#17
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More likely people uploading themselves into a virtual world, securing the planetary data center and dialating time to feel like everyone lives forever in the manner of their choosing.

There’s something sad about a civilization closing its eyes and turning inward on itself instead of exploring the vast universe that it has been presented with.

“Conquering the galaxy is what bacteria with spaceships would do—knowing no better, having no choice.”

From Diaspora, by Greg Egan :)

Re: Nematode Neural System Uploaded to a Computer and Trained to Balance a Pole

#19

I vaguely recall that experts consider artificial neural networks to be a very gross approximation of biological ones. They often state that one reason we don't have AI today is that we don't really know how the brain and the neurons it is made of work. Then I wonder : how does openworm deal with that lack of knowledge? Is there any chance progress in modeling C. Elegans could be used to improve machine learning?

ANNs aren't supposed to model biological neurons, they're more inspired by them. We actually know a great deal about how real neurons work, although the emergent effects keep us from learning much about the brain as a whole.

But modeling biological neurons is expensive; they're far more complex than a logistic function. Just modeling a worm is taking them an entire cluster, and they appear to be using a pretty simple model (the Hodgkin–Huxley equations way back from 1952). I don't think we'll ever simulate real neurons to detect cat photos. Instead, modeling entire brains might allow us to see how learning happens, which could be simplified into new algorithms for machine learning.

Re: Nematode Neural System Uploaded to a Computer and Trained to Balance a Pole

#20
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More likely people uploading themselves into a virtual world, securing the planetary data center and dialating time to feel like everyone lives forever in the manner of their choosing.

There’s something sad about a civilization closing its eyes and turning inward on itself instead of exploring the vast universe that it has been presented with.

the universe may be vast, but it's pretty empty.
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