Prompt's TechBlog

Some very clever people at Switzerland's Brain Mind Institute are using the ninth most powerful supercomputer in the world to build a simulation of the neocortical column - a component of the mammalian brain that plays an important part in intelligence and, ultimately, human consciousness. The 'Blue Brain Project' is the first step in an ongoing project to build an entire working simulation of the human brain as part of the BMI's mission to gain greater understanding of our higher brain functions.

The scientists involved are keen to point out that this is not an attempt to create some kind of human-like artificial intelligence. Although the ability to build a mathematical model of the brain should certainly help research in the field of AI it does seem unlikely that we'll see any great leaps in this area for many years. Nevertheless, the daydreamers among us can't help but be intrigued by the prospect of a computer simulation proving once and for all that human consciousness arises from natural processes that can be documented and accurately simulated. Hah! Take that Descartes!