IBM researches simulate half a "mouse brain" on supercomputer

MasterMike · 28 Apr 2007 at 08:20

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6600965.stm

US researchers have simulated half a virtual mouse brain on a supercomputer.

The scientists ran a "cortical simulator" that was as big and as complex as half of a mouse brain on the BlueGene L supercomputer.

In other smaller simulations the researchers say they have seen characteristics of thought patterns observed in real mouse brains.

Now the team is tuning the simulation to make it run faster and to make it more like a real mouse brain.

Quite astonishing. I wonder where this technology might eventually lead?

Zero5 · 28 Apr 2007 at 09:03

Robot mice stealing cheese?

I guess it's on it's way to simulating a human brain. Clearly a long way to go luckily.

NickK · 28 Apr 2007 at 09:18

****** big mouse trap.

Seriously, this is one exceptional way forward. What it doesn't show is if the system is running a neural net or probably more likely a full cellular growth model too.

Unfortunately they've not got the computing power to run a ion interaction/transportation model though.

Cold_And_Miserable · 28 Apr 2007 at 09:30

Poor effort as a mouse brain is very small and they can't even simulate 8,000 of 8000000 neurons and only at 10th speed.

WotDa · 28 Apr 2007 at 09:31

PanMaster said:
Poor effort as a mouse brain is very small and they can't even simulate 8,000 of 8000000 neurons and only at 10th speed.

Perhaps you could do better then?

NickK · 28 Apr 2007 at 09:33

PanMaster said:
Poor effort as a mouse brain is very small and they can't even simulate 8,000 of 8000000 neurons and only at 10th speed.

Yes it's small but this will give results around large scale interactions. The mouse reference is to give the layman an idea of the size and power it has.

Lord_Kokain · 28 Apr 2007 at 12:22

PanMaster said:
Poor effort as a mouse brain is very small and they can't even simulate 8,000 of 8000000 neurons and only at 10th speed.

Poor or not,its a start and usually with computers,we tend to experience a sort of exponential increase in their power so it is a bit creepy about where it may lead.

Fraggr · 28 Apr 2007 at 12:34

So sometime in the future scientists and researchers could make a full virtual mouse brain, and then when technology gets even quicker, could make it run faster than a normal mouse brain?

Could be interesting when it gets to human brains. Superhumans.

Angus-Higgins · 28 Apr 2007 at 12:34

That was very interesting. Thanks for the link.

Angus Higgins

gord · 28 Apr 2007 at 13:00

Hmm, i dont like cheese.. so a computer that can find cheese is not really any use to me.

Combat squirrel · 28 Apr 2007 at 13:08

AWESOME ! they had best tie down blue gene, or it might scurry off