Mouse Brain Simulated Via Computer

Mordok-DestroyerOfWo writes "Researchers from the IBM Almaden research lab and the University of Nevada have created a simulation of half a mouse brain on the BlueGene L supercomputer. 'Half a real mouse brain is thought to have about eight million neurons each one of which can have up to 8,000 synapses, or connections, with other nerve fibres. Modelling such a system, the trio wrote, puts "tremendous constraints on computation, communication and memory capacity of any computing platform."' Although there's more to creating a mind than setting up the infrastructure, does this mean that we may see a system for human mental storage within our lifetimes?"

Comments

News at 11

[wumpus188]

Researchers ran in terror of a big cat. News at 11.

Re:News at 11

[danamania]

Or as a friend on IRC put it:

doughnut: 00:12 April 29th 2007
doughnut: Skynet became aware
doughnut: It wanted... Cheese

Smalltalk development platform 4 sale

[Harmonious Botch]

We don't use it any more, 'cause the computer keeps running away and hiding under the desk.

Re:Smalltalk development platform 4 sale

[Harmonious Botch]

OK, maybe I was too obscure: there is a version of smalltalk called 'squeak'.

Great...nice outcome

[djupedal]

Let me get this straight - millions of R & D monies and we have a 'simulated' mouse brain to show for it.

I can simulate a mouse brain on a whiteboard, with only two colors of markers, leaving 1/2 the white space. Can I get funds for that...?

Shell prompt screenshot:

[Anonymous Coward]

NARF $

Mouse simulation

[atomic-penguin]

while (smell($cheese)) {
        squeak();
        scurry();

        if (trapped($cheese)) {
                untrap($cheese)
        } else {
                eat($cheese);
                squeak();
        }

}

Re:Mouse simulation

[ookabooka]

untrap($cheese)

Uh oh. . no semicolon. . if you can even get that to compile you better hope that mouse never has to deal with trapped cheese :-p Also, are you sure its a good idea to have the mouse (if the cheese is not trapped) to eat it, squeak, then immediately squeak again? Is that really necessary? I think you should GPL this and let the genetic algorithm of thousands of developers with thousands of ideas tweak it for the optimum behavior.

Waste of effort

[Anonymous Coward]

I opened my mouse and there was just a single chip in there. Why use BlueGene to simulate half of that?

Now what about a politicians?

[apathy maybe]

If they can simulate half a mouse's brain, then they can surely simulate a politicians. Now we can start rounding up those scum and replacing them with computers ...

Cheese?

[fluch]

Did it think "Cheese!" .. or was that the other half of the brain?
- Martin

I see what they're really up to...

[Anonymous Coward]

"What are we going to do today, BlueGene?" ...

"Try to take over the world!"

Obligatory...too scary!

[fahrbot-bot]

Researchers from the IBM Almaden research lab and the University of Nevada have created a simulation of half a mouse brain on the BlueGene L supercomputer.

I would imagine a Beowulf Cluster of these, but I want to be able to sleep tonight...

Mac user?

[Anonymous Coward]

Just study a Mac user

Do you mean it's a single-button mouse they are simulating?

Re:Mac user?

[danlock4]

Do you mean it's a single-button mouse they are simulating?

More like HALF a single-button mouse...

Re:Yes, in our life time

[ds_job]

Given enough late-night TV and phone-in games shows, in 25~30 years the average human should have become sufficiently simple that the contemporaneous human brain could be simulated by some shiny pebbles and lines drawn in the sand.

Re:Human Brain Simulation in our life time?

[TheRealMindChild]

on't be afraid to know more. It's coming if you want it or not.

John Conner: But I thought we prevented Judgement Day?!
Terminator: Judgement Day is inevitable.

Re:Umm

[theurge14]

They were able to use gzip on the cheese craving neurons.

Re:very short article

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe the mouse is dead.

Re:Oblig

[omeomi]

Pfft...I can simulate half a mouse brain:

while(1){}

Re:No randomness?

[bnenning]

Why do so many people refuse to entertain the possibility that they might be deterministic?

Well, it's not like they have a choice.