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Artificial Brain '10 Years Away'

Posted July 23, 2009 7:46 AM

From BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition:

A detailed, functional artificial human brain can be built within the next 10 years, a leading scientist has claimed. Henry Markram, director of the Blue Brain Project, has already simulated elements of a rat brain. He told the TED Global conference in Oxford that a synthetic human brain would be of particular use finding treatments for mental illnesses.

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Quobaldt
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#1

Re: Artificial Brain '10 Years Away'

07/23/2009 10:38 AM

...I wonder what celebrity will have the first one...?

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Sharkles
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#2
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Re: Artificial Brain '10 Years Away'

07/23/2009 10:39 AM

LOL!

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DVader1000
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#3
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Re: Artificial Brain '10 Years Away'

07/23/2009 11:29 AM

Probably Lindsay Lohan . If there was ever celebrity who desperately needs a functioning brain, it would be her .

On second thoughts , maybe we should implant them in all politicians .

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stevem
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#7
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Re: Artificial Brain '10 Years Away'

07/23/2009 11:06 PM

"maybe we should implant them in all politicians"

No, bad idea, they'd only figure out how to screw us over even worse.

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#4

Re: Artificial Brain '10 Years Away'

07/23/2009 12:33 PM

I have great doubt on the 10 year time-frame. I'll accept we might be able to more accurately model certain chemical / electrical interactions in the brain by then. But a "talking" entity? No.

And I realize it's been done to death in sci-fi and is quite cliche, but one of the other news articles on CR4 today dealing with robotic ethics begs the question about our own ethics concerning such creations. At some distant point the line will blur between performing studies and inflicting suffering. I don't fear judgement or retribution from a higher power nor from our devices. But I do fear the desensitizing and what we might become if we don't recognize when we're about to cross that line.
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ZenZeddmore
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#6
In reply to #4

Re: Artificial Brain '10 Years Away'

07/23/2009 10:00 PM

yes 10 years is too soon. The the 7 two year doublings from the current 1 gram to achieve human brain mass simulation is 15 years. (educating it will of course take much longer)
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#11
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Re: Artificial Brain '10 Years Away'

07/24/2009 5:30 PM

"At some distant point the line will blur between performing studies and inflicting suffering"...

There's never been a problem with inflicting suffering. Quibble maybe (I give you GA), but inflicting suffering is an industry. It's called medical research.

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stevem
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#5

Re: Artificial Brain '10 Years Away'

07/23/2009 5:20 PM

Ten years? No way. 100 billion neurons each with 10,000 to 50,000 synapses and each one of those influenced by hundreds of neurotransmitters and you think you're going to model that? I'll bet my flying car we don't get even close to a mouses brain in ten years.

And exactly what is supposed to happen when this 'functional artificial human brain' decides it's tired of being experimented on?

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Quobaldt
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#8
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Re: Artificial Brain '10 Years Away'

07/24/2009 1:09 AM

...I have to agree with the odds you are mentioning. No one should try and create live. Trying to help a sick…a must.

...but I'm sure the "same" arguments were used many moons ago, before they transplanted hearts or cured some terrible diseases.

I think it is easy to be negative about research to day. I'm also sure that many of us are benefiting from "negative" research that was done in the past. Just think of all the home appliances we use today that "came" from research done by NASA, to send a "capsule" to the moon...

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#10
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Re: Artificial Brain '10 Years Away'

07/24/2009 12:30 PM

"Just think of all the home appliances we use today that "came" from research done by NASA, to send a "capsule" to the moon..."

Name one.

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#9

Re: Artificial Brain '10 Years Away'

07/24/2009 10:15 AM

I think we should name it "Hal".

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