Introduction:
We all wonder about the complexities of a human brain. The human brain is considered to be full of complexities. The aim of blue brain technology is to upload the complete information existing in the brain into a computer. If we finally achieve this, then even after the death of a human body we can preserve his knowledge and intelligence. The Blue Brain technology is the latest invention in the field of neural networks. This technology will open new doors in the field of artificial intelligence. The blue brain technology provides a comprehensive simulation of the essential internal connectivity of the cerebral parts with the external artificial intelligent network. This study of human brain will lead to a complete sketch of the flow of the electrical signals through the brain.
No one has ever understood the complexity of human brain. It is complex than any circuitry in the world. So, question may arise “Is it really possible to create a human brain?” The answer is “Yes”. Because whatever man has created today always he has followed the nature. When man does not have a device called computer, it was a big question for all .But today it is possible due to the technology. Technology is growing faster than everything.
What is Blue Brain Technology?
“Blue brain” -The name of the world’s first virtual brain. That means a machine that can function as human brain. Today scientists are in research to create an artificial brain that can think, respond, take decision and keep anything in memory. The main aim is to upload human brain into machine. So that man can think, take decisions without any effort. After the death of the body, the virtual brain will act as the man .So, even after the death of a person we will not lose the knowledge, intelligence, personalities, feelings and memories of that man that can be used for the development of the human society.
What is Virtual Brain?
We can say Virtual brain is an artificial brain, which is not actually the natural brain, but can act as the brain .It can think like brain, take decisions based on the past experience and respond as the natural brain can. It is possible by using a super computer, with a huge amount of storage capacity, processing power and an interface between the human brain and this artificial one .Through this interface the data stored in the natural brain can be up loaded into the computer .So the brain and the knowledge, intelligence of anyone can be kept and used for ever, even after the death of the person.
Why we need virtual brain?
Today we are developed because of our intelligence. Intelligence is the inborn quality that cannot be created .Some people have this quality ,so that they can think up to such an extent where others cannot reach .Human society is always in need of such intelligence and such an intelligent brain to have with. But the intelligence is lost along with the body after the death. The virtual brain is a solution to it. The brain and intelligence will be alive even after the death.
We often face difficulties in remembering things such as people’s names, their birthdays and the spellings , proper grammar, important dates, history facts etc etc. In the busy life every one wants to be relaxed .Can’t we use any machine to assist for all these? Virtual brain may be the solution to it. What if we upload ourselves into computer, we were simply aware of a computer, or maybe, what if we lived in a computer as a program?
How it is possible?
First, it is helpful to describe the basic manners in which a person may be uploaded into a computer. Raymond Kurzweil provided an interesting paper on this topic. In it, he describes both invasive and non-invasive techniques. The most promising is the use of very small robots, or nanobots. These robots will be small enough to travel throughout our circulatory systems. Traveling into the spine and brain, they will be able to monitor the activity and structure of our central nervous system. They will be able to provide an interface with computers that is as close as our mind can be while we still reside in our biological form.
Nanobots could also carefully scan the structure of our brain, providing a complete readout of the connections between each neuron. They would also record the current state of the brain. This information, when entered into a computer, could then continue to function as us. All that is required is a computer with large enough storage space and processing power. Is the pattern and state of neuron connections in our brain truly all that makes up our conscious selves? Many people believe firmly those we possess a soul, while some very technical people believe that quantum forces contribute to our awareness. But we have to now think technically. Note, however, that we need not know how the brain actually functions, to transfer it to a computer. We need only know the media and contents. The actual mystery of how we achieved consciousness in the first place, or how we maintain it, is a separate discussion.
Uploading human brain:
IBM, in partnership with scientists at Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne’s (EPFL) Brain and Mind Institute will begin simulating the brain’s biological systems and output the data as a working 3-dimensional model that will recreate the high-speed electro-chemical interactions that take place within the brain’s interior. These include cognitive functions such as language, learning, perception and memory in addition to brain malfunction such as psychiatric disorders like depression and autism. From there, the modelling will expand to other regions of the brain and, if successful, shed light on the relationships between genetic, molecular and cognitive functions of the brain.
The model brain can accurately echo the song of a South American sparrow. The bird sing by forcing air from their lungs past folds of tissue in the voice box. The electric impulses from the brain that force the lungs had been recorded and when the equivalent impulses were passed to the computer model of the lungs of the bird it begins to sing like the bird.
NEWS: The EPFL Blue Gene was the 8th fastest supercomputer in the world.
Functioning of human brain:
Sensory input: receiving input such as sound, image, etc through sensory cell.
Interpretation: interpretation of the received input by the brain by defining states of neurons in the brain.
Motor output: Receiving of electric responses from the brain to perform any action.
Brain simulation: natural brain versus artificial brain:
| Natural brain | Artificial brain |
| Input:Through the natural neurons. | Input:Through the silicon chip or artificial neurons. |
| Interpretation:By different states of the neurons in the brain. | Interpretation:By a set of bits in the set of register. |
| Output:Through the natural neurons.Processing:
Through arithmetic and logical calculations. |
Output:Through the silicon chip.Processing:
Through arithmetic and logical calculation and artificial intelligence. |
| Memory:Through permanent states of neurons. | Memory:Through secondary memory |
Hardware and Software requirements:
- 22.8 TFLOPS peak processing speed.
- 8,096 CPUs at 700 MHz (downgraded to handle massive parallel processing).
- 256MB to 512MB memory per processor.
- Linux and c++ software.
- 100 kilowatts power consumption.
- Very powerful Nanobots to act as the interface between the natural brain and the computer.
- A super computer
- A program to convert the electric impulses from the brain to input signal, which is to be received by the computer, and vice versa.
Advantages:
- Intelligence of a person is not lost even after his death.
- Things can be remembered easily without much effort.
- Allowing deaf to hear via nerve stimulation.
- Making decisions without the presence of the person.
Disadvantages:
- We become dependent upon the computer.
- Others may use technical knowledge against us.
- Another fear is found today with respect to human cloning.
- Computer viruses will pose an increasingly critical threat.
In conclusion, we will be able to transfer ourselves into computers at some point. Most arguments against this outcome are seemingly easy to circumvent. They are either simple minded, or simply require further time for technology to increase. The only serious threats raised are also overcome as we note the combination of biological and digital technologies.
Cajal Blue Brain used the Magerit supercomputer (CeSViMa)
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