Simulating Neocortical Column Of Rat Brain - IBM Blue Gene/L Supercomputer • Hacker News Board

Simulating Neocortical Column Of Rat Brain - IBM Blue Gene/L Supercomputer

#1

Post by downer » Mon, Dec 24, 2007, 9:50 AM UTC

"Two years on, he has already developed a computer simulation of the neocortical column - the basic building block of the neocortex, the higher functioning part of our brains - of a two-week-old rat, and it behaves exactly like its biological counterpart. It's something quite beautiful when you watch it pulse on the giant 3D screens the researchers have constructed.

[...]

Although a neocortical column is only 2 millimetres long and half a millimetre in diameter, it contains 10,000 neurons and 30m synapses. The machine that simulates this column is an IBM Blue Gene/L supercomputer is capable of speeds of 18.7 trillion calculations per second. It has 8,000 processors and is one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world."

Simulating Neocortical Column Of Rat Brain - IBM Blue Gene/L Supercomputer
guardian.co.uk

Re: Simulating Neocortical Column Of Rat Brain - IBM Blue Gene/L Supercomputer

#2

Post by downer » Mon, Dec 24, 2007, 9:59 AM UTC

"Markram believes that with the state of technology today, it is possible to build an entire rat's neocortex, which is the next phase of the Blue Brain project, due to begin next year. From there, it's cats, then monkeys and finally, a human brain."

Not in Kazakhstan...

Re: Simulating Neocortical Column Of Rat Brain - IBM Blue Gene/L Supercomputer

#3

Post by dcurtis » Mon, Dec 24, 2007, 1:37 PM UTC

So when do we get to ask it "How can the net amount of entropy of the universe be massively decreased?"

And read its beautiful answer: INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR MEANINGFUL ANSWER

Re: Simulating Neocortical Column Of Rat Brain - IBM Blue Gene/L Supercomputer

#4

Post by albertcardona » Mon, Dec 24, 2007, 7:04 PM UTC

Bear in mind they are not using an extracted 3D model of a cortical column, but "merely" a mush up of known neurons and known statistical properties of cortical columns.

In other words, we are far from simulating the brain.

Re: Simulating Neocortical Column Of Rat Brain - IBM Blue Gene/L Supercomputer

#5

Post by dcurtis » Mon, Dec 24, 2007, 9:41 PM UTC

albertcardona wrote: post #4

Bear in mind they are not using an extracted 3D model of a cortical column, but "merely" a mush up of known neurons and known statistical properties of cortical columns. In other words, we are far from simulating the brain.

They call it a "simulation" and a "model" for a reason.

It's closer than anyone has ever been before.

Re: Simulating Neocortical Column Of Rat Brain - IBM Blue Gene/L Supercomputer

#6

Post by downer » Tue, Dec 25, 2007, 6:20 AM UTC

dcurtis wrote: post #5

albertcardona wrote: post #4

Bear in mind they are not using an extracted 3D model of a cortical column, but "merely" a mush up of known neurons and known statistical properties of cortical columns. In other words, we are far from simulating the brain.

They call it a "simulation" and a "model" for a reason. It's closer than anyone has ever been before.

If a supercomputer can simulate a model, what would it take to simulate a supermodel? 'Cuz that would be "handy" for me...

Re: Simulating Neocortical Column Of Rat Brain - IBM Blue Gene/L Supercomputer

#7

Post by jey » Tue, Dec 25, 2007, 6:48 AM UTC

dcurtis wrote: post #3

So when do we get to ask it "How can the net amount of entropy of the universe be massively decreased?" And read its beautiful answer: INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR MEANINGFUL ANSWER

0x2A

Re: Simulating Neocortical Column Of Rat Brain - IBM Blue Gene/L Supercomputer

#8

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Dec 25, 2007, 9:28 PM UTC

downer wrote: post #6

dcurtis wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They call it a "simulation" and a "model" for a reason. It's closer than anyone has ever been before.

If a supercomputer can simulate a model, what would it take to simulate a supermodel ? 'Cuz that would be "handy" for me ...

[deleted]