Researchers tout progress in creating a brain on a chip
By Donald Melanson 
posted March 24th 2009 2:21PM
posted March 24th 2009 2:21PM
Mimicking the human brain has long been near the top of the list of dream projects for many a sci-fi-inspired scientist, and it looks like one team involved in the EU-supported FACETS initiative is now making some real, if still preliminary progress in the field. Apparently, they've built upon some recent mapping and modeling research and created an actual chip (or, more specifically a 20cm wafer), which could eventually contain a network of 200,000 neurons and 50 million synapses. That, the researchers say, will allow for them to take on larger scale neural computing work than has previously been possible, and could even lead to "practical neural computers" in as little as five years, which they say could be particularly helpful for things like internet search -- or, you know, commanding a massive robot army.
[Thanks, Scott]
[Thanks, Scott]
That reminds me, I need to watch some MST3K again.
that came to my mind immediately as well....
We've got movie sign!
He's at the 40... the 30... 20!
Now i'll be able to search contents on youporn by thinking of positions? Cool
And you could play Crysis entirely in your head.
I could do with a neuron top up, how much?
A massive robot army? Well, I, for one....
hello there mister EMP gun man :-) .... robot runs away
We r gettin closer 2 doomsday!!! 2 mins to midnight now!
TECHNOLOGICAL SINGULARITY HERE WE COME!!
Reminds me too much of Tiphares in Battle Angel Alita.
Swapping out brains for chips? *Shudder*
That came to my mind too!
Does this means that we a pretty close to building the Beast? a super computer that carries a sign of 666 or www and that someday it will hold the keys to all the doors and rule us tomorrow? could be right? or maybe i had to much coffee today.
"The future is not set, there is no fate but what we make for ourselves."
The Brain That Wouldn't Die + MST3K + Engadget = Winnar.
say, dan. no disrespect but your avatar reminds me of rex from toy story... so whenever i read your comments i lol cuz i instinctively picture that voice talking
say, dan. no disrespect but your avatar reminds me of that delightful "T-Rex" character from dinosaur comics... so whenever i read your comments i lol cuz i instinctively picture that charming old fellow bombastically pronouncing whatever it is you've been on about
Assuming 100 billion neurons in a human brain. If Moor's Law holds true for these chips then we have about fifty years to wait.
Is Moor's Law the one that states that medieval Spanish Muslims double every 18 months?
Processing power does not equate to the amount of "neurons" a piece of computer equipment can hold.
That's like saying "My processor can render 20 basketballs. According to Moore's law it can render 40 next year!"
That was fricken' hilarious, GT. +1 for Moors.
this type of tech always ends up in the wrong hands..But still amazing..
This type of tech...
As in synthetic neural complexes?
wait...
Are you the ghost of Christmas Future?
no, he's the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future
I hear brain chips taste like knowledge.
All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again.
here's to hoping that killing cylons is as awesome next time as it was this time :)
Just as long as the bodies look like Number Six!
Jan in the pan!!!
She makes her own gravy
Does anyone else find this kind of thing extremely creepy?
No just extremely cool.
Both.
Extremely cool because it is extremely cool. Who doesn't want a real smart house? :-)
Extremely creepy because it will not be in my next house, but in the wrong hands (it always happens) :-(
All this happened before, and all this will happen again.
crap BT beat me to it by 3 hours :P
perhaps kurzweil isn't crazy after all? Computers as fast as the human brain by 2020 indeed!
Fortitude?
where is john conor???? this is the first sign of skynet hahaha