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Wednesday, November 28, 2007 A Working Brain ModelA computer simulation could eventually allow neuroscience to be carried out in silico. By Duncan Graham-Rowe
An ambitious project to create an accurate computer model of the brain has reached an impressive milestone. Scientists in Switzerland working with IBM researchers have shown that their computer simulation of the neocortical column, arguably the most complex part of a mammal's brain, appears to behave like its biological counterpart. By demonstrating that their simulation is realistic, the researchers say, these results suggest that an entire mammal brain could be completely modeled within three years, and a human brain within the next decade. "What we're doing is reverse-engineering the brain," says Henry Markram, codirector of the Brain Mind Institute at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, in Switzerland, who led the work, called the Blue Brain project, which began in 2005. (See "IBM: The Computer Brain.") By mimicking the behavior of the brain down to the individual neuron, the researchers aim to create a modeling tool that can be used by neuroscientists to run experiments, test hypotheses, and analyze the effects of drugs more efficiently than they could using real brain tissue. The model of part of the brain was completed last year, says Markram. But now, after extensive testing comparing its behavior with results from biological experiments, he is satisfied that the simulation is accurate enough that the researchers can proceed with the rest of the brain. "It's amazing work," says Thomas Serre, a computational-neuroscience researcher at MIT. "This is likely to have a tremendous impact on neuroscience." The project began with the initial goal of modeling the 10,000 neurons and 30 million synaptic connections that make up a rat's neocortical column, the main building block of a mammal's cortex. The neocortical column was chosen as a starting point because it is widely recognized as being particularly complex, with a heterogeneous structure consisting of many different types of synapse and ion channels. "There's no point in dreaming about modeling the brain if you can't model a small part of it," says Markram. The model itself is based on 15 years' worth of experimental data on neuronal morphology, gene expression, ion channels, synaptic connectivity, and electrophysiological recordings of the neocortical columns of rats. Software tools were then developed to process this information and automatically reconstruct physiologically accurate 3-D models of neurons and their interconnections.
Connect the dots: A representation of a mammalian neocortical column, the basic building block of the cortex. The representation shows the complexity of this part of the brain, which has now been modeled using a supercomputer. |
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Silicon Brains
05/01/2007
Comments
Monsterboy on 11/28/2007 at 11:29 AM
42
blunney on 11/28/2007 at 12:11 PM
13
sunsonian on 02/13/2008 at 1:19 AM
1
neuromancer137 on 02/14/2008 at 10:43 AM
1
Bhagavan himself (who had received University education in India) claims that the procedure of Enlightenment is based on Brain Science approaches and represents (quite successful - as was confirmed by Bhagavan's extensive practice: there exist around the Globe millions of his followers)an attempt to influence Mind via The Brain.
(As the process of Enlightenment Initiation, or Deeksha, is described [eg, in the book "Deeksha" by Kiara Windrider; 2006], it looks as if Bhagavan [or his specially prepared assistants] are "inputing" into the Initiatee's subtle body, - via Crown Chakram, - a "golden Ball" which is actually a specially programmed "intelligent subtle plane meme"; - which is accomplishing due rearranging of Initiatee's nervous system, adjusting to its special individual features.
"Computer conversion" of Deeksha's technique will allow to make this procedure, - relieving the level of personal stress & caused by it aggressiveness, - easily accessible to each [or at least many enough to form desired by Bhagavan "critical mass of morphogenetic fields"] human person on the planet.
This is of especial importance today, when the threat of total Nuclear Armageddon begins to loom again because of aggressive moves of Putin's Russia, plagued by excessive aggressiveness of its driven by nationalistic ambitions elite.
NEUROMANCER137 SWEDEN
rusjedi on 02/18/2008 at 7:01 AM
1
I think that described in this article technology has immensely great defence potential.
In '80s in Russia were serially produced "pocket-sized psychotronic generators" of "Genotron" type; - into which were built-in "synergetic models" (that is, "skeleton patterns" - of the type used in generation of computer avatars)of rhythmic systems of human heart & the brain (of course, incomparably more crude than those developed in Lausanne).
However, influencing, - by a strong pulse of ultrasonic and/or microwave radiation, directed at a vulnerable bifurcation points of these rhythms' "strange attractors", - human organisms, it was possible (which was extensively confirmed by "field practice" of KGB & GRU agents, which "stealth liquidated" in '80 a number of "Star Wars' project" research personnel in such way which didn't evoke any suspicion from Western security organs) to disrupt functioning of heart and/or brain of selected "human target"; - producing regulated effects ranging from mild confusion to lethal outcome.
Use of sophisticated brain models developed in Lausanne will help to upgrade greatly the spectrum of possibilities of brain influencing of "remote human VIP targets"; - for example, teleporting into their brains (using now well-known technique of "non-local mass quantum states' transference", elaborated by Dr Zeilinger in Austria, Dr Polzik in Denmark & other researchers) non-perceivable by consciousness but irrecusable orders to erase selectively any targeted thought: eg, the desire to press "nuclear button".
(In this way can be justified wise precept of ancient Chinese strategist Sun-Tzu, who wrote that "the best kind of victory is when enemy's plans are destroyed"; - and destruction of aggressive enemy's plans by "non-local quantum erasure" is of the most perfect & artistically elegant kind possible.
Cf. also well-known saying of British military theoretician B. Liddell-Hart who wrote that "the prime target of any battle is the BRAIN of enemy's Commander-in-Chief"; - so why not to make a "logical short-cut", bypassing use of clumsy & largely inefficient "military junk" - influencing directly "enemy leader's brain"?
Theory of "non-local quantum influencing" says that such "quantum weapon" cannot miss: its "non-local missiles" will hit squarely intended target, possessing its own unique "morphic signature", which can be exactly determined, for example, through analysis of "human target"'s DNA.)
If all potential participants in foreseeable in near future nuclear confrontation between East & West will be armed with such "ultimate Peace Weapons" then danger of global nuclear holocaust will be forever banished.
(In this believe not very numerous but dedicated participants of Russian Peace Movement: see, for example, an essay by Vadim Emelyanov "Stop the War" [through telepathically influencing leaders of nuclear nations] at: www.zhurnal.lib.ru/e/emeljanow_w_j/oct.shtml )
Because of aboveindicated military relevance of research of BLUE BRAIN project it might be expected also that it could attract unwelcome interest of various intelligence agencies (if, of course, their representatives weren't in this project from the start).
rusjedi