IBM simulates cat's brain, humans are next
By Vlad Savov 
posted November 18th 2009 11:11AM
posted November 18th 2009 11:11AM
Almost exactly a year ago we noted DARPA pouring nearly $5 million into an IBM project to develop a computer capable of emulating the brain of a living creature. Having already modeled half of a mouse's brain, the researchers were at that time heading toward the more ambitious territory of feline intelligence, and today we can report on how far that cash injection and extra twelve months have gotten us. The first big announcement is that they have indeed succeeded in producing a computer simulation on par, in terms of complexity and scale, with a cat's brain. The second, perhaps more important, is that "jaw-dropping" progress has been made in the sophistication and detail level of human brain mapping. The reverse engineering of the brain is hoped to bring about new ways for building computers that mimic natural brain structures, an endeavor collectively termed as "cognitive computing." Read link will reveal more, and you can make your own cyborg jokes in the comments below.
i guess a long time due to the "jaw-dropping" progress has been made in the sophistication and detail level of human brain mapping."
....woah
how are the simulating the sensory interfaces i.e. eyes, ears, touch, taste, smell, etc?
It seems they're simulating the complexity, not the actuality, of a feline brain. Which makes me question how they calculate that complexity to start with.
I took a very quick glance through the article (linky at the bottom) and you're right Martin, they simulated something on a level of complexity of brain tissue, they didn't actually simulate it.
Also, the abstract says that they simulated something exceeding a cat's *cortex*, not their entire brain.
So really what they've done is they've simulated how the different cells in part of a cat's brain operate. They've made a simulation more complicated that the synapses of a cat brain, but only simulated something on a level with about a third of the neurons in a cat brain.
I'm not saying it's not a huge achievement, just that I'm not expecting computers to start purring just yet.
Link to the article: http://www.modha.org/C2S2/2009/11182009/content/SC09_TheCatIsOutofTheBag.pdf
They are not. They just have neural models of the same "complexity." Its like a big bucket of neurons firing off. They dont have the structure down, the interworkings, etc. There's no cat in there, just something as complex as a cat brain, which isnt saying much. No need for sensory inputs as they would be useless.
Let me know when the simulate it and can read a cats mind. That way maybe I can get mine to STFU and leave me alone.
I think, for now, they just tease it with sexy algorithms
Looks like Asimov was only a few years off on this one. Positronic brains FTW!!!
I think the real question is, did the cat's cortex catch the half-mouse-brain, or did it get away?
this better not mark the end of lolcats
If anything, it's only a beginning...
Oh hai, can u upgrade my RAM.
LOLcats will actually be spelling better.. I guess that means we'll have to change the name to somewhatfunny-cats
This is immediately what I thought of. I hope we can use this figure out why cats have such terrible spelling and grammar.
That's nothing, anyone can simulate a cat's brain. It goes something like this
sleep
sleep
sleep
sleep
sleep
OHMYGODIHAVEANAPPOINTMENTINTHEBEDROOM
run to bedroom
sleep
sleep
sleep
sleep
sleep
slowly wake up
HOLY$***AREFLECTIONONTHEWALL
slam into wall
sleep
sleep
sleep
sleep
sleep
sleep
walk to food bowl
eat
ISTHATAFRICKINRAT????!?!?!?
spaz out on fake rat
scratch scratching post angrily
sleep
sleep
sleep
sleep
sleep
sleep
and so on.
Is it powered by cheezburgers?
I for one welcome our new feline overlords.
...feline ANDROID overloards.
"overloards" = joke killed. oops
Actually, since the "overlord" joke and "lolcats" are both internet memes, the misspelling of "overloards" could actually be seen as a subtle reference to the often utilized misspelling "moar" and...
OK, see? NOW the joke is killed.
;)
Good, now reload and take out "first!!11" while we're at it.
FROID....Coming exclusively to Verizon Wireless. They have a Cat for that.
Don't worry Paul, it wasn't funny in the first place. =]
Has Hollywood taught us nothing? As soon as we give a computer human intelligence it will take over the world. Mankind is doomed. You hear me, DOOMED!
This project will have the blessing and endorsement of Hello Kitty
I love the word "doomed." Just say it out loud stretching out the "oo," it's fun.
Yes, but what happens when this Pussy becomes self-aware?
It'll just lick itself for a few minutes, then go to sleep under a bed somewhere.
This happens:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjX1kpUP0Hg&feature=related
But this time there's no Bill Oddie to save you.
@ChildToDarkness
I see the words "pussy" and "self-aware" and think of something very, very interesting.
apparently they havent seen what happens in irobot
I(BM) can haz cheezburger?
We dont know who struck first us or them but we do know it was us that scorched the sky.
There will be no "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" feature when this thing coughs up a hair ball and turns on us.
All jokes apart, this is awesome. Someday when the human brain mapping is complete, I hope they'll be able to interface with or replace actual brain tissue and repair damage.
Yes, that would be awesome, although simply doing that (slot in a new chunk of electronic brain e.g. to replace for brain damage) probably wouldn't be much good in itself as you would still have lost all the information stored in the damaged brain.
I assume at the moment this is really just intended as a model to run experiments which might help learn more about how the human brain might work, rather than a slot-in replacement.
Imagine what would be possible if we could interface with the human brain and download/upload data. I'd never have to go to spanish class again!
Right. But I'm hoping this would help people born with neural defects, or at least restore some functionality to people with brain injuries. It won't bring their memories back, but will restore normalcy to their lives.
And yeah, this is more of a "how does the brain work" project, but hope it will lead to more that that.
all it said was they developed a system matching the scale and complexity of a cat's brain. it's just a way of providing a frame of reference for the size of neural network they are working with.
It's all fun and games while it's still just a little computer.
But soon enough, these programmers are going to start finding dead mouses in their slippers, clean out litter from it's servos, worry about it climbing trees. And woe betide them if they go away for a few days, they'll get home and all their wallpaper will be corrupted.
Mouse actually has a proper plural by the way.
Not COMPUTER MOUSES.
It was a pun, FUCK.
Wow... Talk about English language FAIL.
Um... MICE
www.l3@rn3ngr!$h.com
Computer programmers have servos/?
MORE!:
You'll start finding clumps of thermo-gel and wiring left about the place.
a 2-ton super computer sleeping on your child's face isn't going to end well.
You'll be kept up all night by the high-pitched whining of gears and fans outside the window.
... Yeah, I think I'm gonna stop now.
You mean someday computers will be as large as this room? ...wow, we really do live in the future.
So, they made a computer that sleeps 20 hours a day? Good job!
Cheezburger + sleep = cat emulation. Easy.
You mean humans are next to simulate a cat's brain? IBM is not human?