A Million Node Supercomputer

An anonymous reader writes "Veteran of microcomputing Steve Furber, in his role as ICL Professor of Computer Engineering in the School of Computer Science at the University of Manchester, has called upon some old friends for his latest project: a brain-simulating supercomputer based on more than a million ARM processors." More detailed information can be found in the research paper.

Comments

Putting the cart before the horse

[Okian Warrior]

This makes sense, how?

It's like trying to simulate a computer by wiring 5 million transistors. Without a deep understanding of how computers work and a plan for implementation, the result will be worthless.

I see this all the time in AI strategies. Without no deep understanding of AI, the project implements bad assumptions.

Some examples: no way to encode the adjacency information, a fixed internal encoding system which cannot change (ie - a chess program that can't learn checkers), linear input->process->output models, and so on.

Before building a system with a million processors capable of simulating the brain, how about we design an algorithm that embodies the simplest possible AI?

Re:Putting the cart before the horse

[PPH]

Typical IT project philosophy: I'll go to the customer and try to get some requirements. The rest of you, start coding.

Re:Build a mouse brain first.

[Flyerman]

Without the need to breath, eat, procreate, keep my brain occupied etc... I would certainly do the same.