Spinnaker project mimics human brain

Scientists have been on the hunt for years attempting to model the human brain, but typically any research in this area was strictly used for medical purposes. Steve Furber of the University of Manchester is the head honcho of the Spinnaker (short for spiking neural network architecture) project, which seeks to better understand the complex interactions of brain cells in hopes of creating more "fault-tolerant computers." Furber states that although we lose one neuron per second during our adult life (just think, you've already lost a couple dozen reading this post), yet our brains don't suffer any catastrophic meltdowns or periods of underperformance because of it. Rather, the brain has an impeccable ability to disregard malfunctions and find alternate ways to function without throwing a theoretical BSOD. The Spinnaker computer consists of silicon chips containing 20 microprocessors, 19 of which will behave as neurons while the remaining processor records the activities. Each chip will replicate about 20,000 human neurons, and unlike normal processors, Furber's approach will eliminate the "clocks" that typically synchronize the processes, providing a much more accurate representation of how biological neurons somehow keep on ticking (so to speak). The Spinnaker project is hoping to reach a functioning system containing 50 chips and a thousand processors within two years, and although we don't claim to be experts on the subject, it sounds like they should take a peek at how those self-healing chips are coming along, eh?

[Thanks, Ian]

[casey @ Aug 5th 2006 12:06AM]

As we see here, the "brain" is learning to use the knife as a weap---

[ikkedus @ Aug 5th 2006 4:10AM]

I have a great idea! Lets throw a 100 processors together... no wait! A thousand processors together! And create a model of the human brain! And then call the processors neurons or artificial neurons, just like the real thing! Wooh! Yeah, but how does it work? Well because of the connections, you know! Because there're so many and err... you know, if you put it all together it just comes to life. It's like probing electrodes into silly putty. It just creates a mind out of nothing.

[TC @ Aug 5th 2006 7:08AM]

"our brains don't suffer any catastrophic meltdowns or periods of underperformance because of it"

Literally as I read that, up popped 'The instruction at 0x67ea2e40 referenced memory at 0x0350f000. The memory could not be read' on my screen. I had to blink at a wall to make sure it was the pc and not me! Damn Neurons.

[my_name_is_tudor @ Aug 5th 2006 7:49AM]

ikkedus, these people aren't trying to model the human brain, or make any sort of AI. They're trying to make a computer that can handle cockups without crashing.

[otakucode @ Aug 5th 2006 8:20AM]

They're missing a very important factor in trying to emulate a brain in this way... you are what you eat. Not only what you eat, but what and where you live. We are made of what we eat, literally. Bootstrapping some silicon like this and attempting to create an emergent consciousness won't work. A silicon-born consciousness would need to be so radically different from our consciousness, we most likely could not recognize it. It's quite possible such a thing exists already. There is no reason, short of lack of thought on the subject, one would assume that an electronic consciousness would have the same motivations as DNA-based life. It would most likely not need significant space, resources, or need to reproduce.

Attempting to simply create an artificial intelligence that mimics our own is ridiculous and strongly suggests the person putting forth the idea has abandoned the concepts of evolution and embraced a hardcore dualist view that our mind is entirely separate from our body. That's obviously a false assumption as there is no clear distinction between our bodies and our minds. You touch something and nerve fibers fire an electrical signal that goes straight into the storm of synaptic firings. There is no gatekeeper making note of the stimulus and then transmitting it to a magical being controlling thought.

That being said, I imagine these researchers are aware of all of this and are merely hoping to emulate some of the techniques used by our brains in a completely different way rather than attempting to set the stage for an emergent consciousness. I have to wonder, though, how much of the fault tolerance in an organic brain is part and parcel of their innacurracy and fallibility? Would we prefer a computer report that 2 plus 2 equals 3.996 rather than crash?

[Jason @ Aug 5th 2006 10:23AM]

We may lose one neuron per second {not sure where that comes from} we also regenerate brain tissue throughout our life. It gets slower as we age, but we're growing new neurons all the time.

[Fortyseven @ Aug 5th 2006 5:43PM]

First thing that came to mind after reading the headline? Facemaker.

[Frangible @ Aug 5th 2006 9:37PM]

These chips don't mimick the human brain. I doubt any ever will. In addition to the physical communication between neurons using neurotransmitter this is attempting to emulate, there's also a genetic and environment based neuroplastic changes that continually happen (ie: development of language, sight), and finally higher order electrical (EEG) activity that is likely controlled via quantum effects through neurotubules and is also where memory is stored.

This attempt at emulation is based off such an incomplete understanding and partial implimentation I don't see how it can possibly succeed at doing much of anything.

Further, the fact we lose brain cells happens for a variety of reasons, some planned, and we also generate new ones continuously.

The brain and mind are so far beyond our understanding, let alone a silicon-based fixed attempt to emulate them is just not going to work.