Supercomputer Models Human Brain Activity--AKA How Amazing Are You?

reply to post by Saucerking

So I think they're kind of wasting their time and money trying to come up with a computer that mimics the functioning of a human brain. Of what good is a muddle-headed computer?

Watch the video I linked earlier. They mention a plethora of reasons, including understanding neurological diseases.

Especially when you could work towards building one with laser-precise "on task" intelligence of a sort unlike the human model.

One begets the other.

However, how much of that 'muddled noise' going on in our brain is what gives rise to abstract thinking, emotion, sentience itself… that the traditional 'laser precise' computer is lacking? I don't think we will *fully understand that until we map our brains to a supercomputer and study it.

The processing power is there. But is the programming?

reply to post by zilebeliveunknown


We were turned off long ago, leaving us to age and die. Sure, we can still learn, but the things we used to be able to do.....

Oh My!!

reply to post by therealguyfawkes


Using the law of doubling computer speed/power every year, in 20 years a computer would be able to outperform the human brain (in terms of raw processing power, it would still need the programming to be able to manage and make sense of the diverse tasks a human brain does.)

Source: 60x60x67= x
X/2, 20 times before I got below a 1:1 ratio.

There's a proper way to compute and to write the formula, but I don't remember it. If the doubling rule holds true, though, that's the answer and the math is solid.

reply to post by therealguyfawkes


haha jesus this made me feel guilty about my last thread which just didnt have much effort in it...I now know im capable of so much more! Nice find.

Read a couple of books by A.G. Riddle that dealt with the subject that humans were a genetically engineered species. While fiction, I think it is entirely plausible that humans were either created or genetically modified by the "gods" for some purpose. Some suggest that were created to be slaves and mine gold.

However, I think our species is more like a science experiment to some advanced beings who have either evolved or genetically modified themselves to the point that a lot of what we have, they don't. For example, reproduction (as we know it), emotions, etc. may be part of their ancient past.

On tonight, live from 10PM Eastern time!

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Saucerking
On the one hand this story shows us how primitive our computers actually are. It's a hard reality check.

On the other hand, we have to remember that the human brain is filled constantly by all kinds of noise and stuff going on that have virtually nothing to do with any given task at hand. Much of it just getting in the way.

So I think they're kind of wasting their time and money trying to come up with a computer that mimics the functioning of a human brain. Of what good is a muddle-headed computer? Especially when you could work towards building one with laser-precise "on task" intelligence of a sort unlike the human model.

Some research into dynamic systems demonstrated that random noise was necessary for optimum operation. In the physical world, there was a mystery over why certain aeronautical gear mechanisms would jam and lock up while on the ground, yet while in flight would never jam. Then it was discovered that the vibration from the engines created random vibrations that prevented the gear teeth from interlocking. In neural circuits, random noise is enough to give weak trigger signals enough energy to cross the activation threshold of an neuron. It doesn't happen all the time, which would be the equivalent of lowering the threshold, it just happens randomly. A visual example would be the effect of dithering in computer graphics. At low intensity values, you'll see banding effects, but if you add a certain amount of randomness, even to a black and white image, you'll get the perception of a smooth gradient:

www.laesieworks.com...

Researchers are already modeling the brain of a fruit fly, and the neuro-muscular system of small worms:

neurokernel.github.io...

reply to post by therealguyfawkes


When I was in a certain state, that state allowed me to examine every human process in absolute slow motion. It was like slowing down time and being able to walk around every process/thought you can think of,... a process that normally I wouldn't and couldn't notice because it only takes a fraction of a second for that process to take place. It made me truly appreciate the human brain which (within a split second) completes so many fine details that we take for granted. If we were aware of all those tiny little processes every time they happened, we wouldn't be able to function in the real world. You don't even think about blinking, moving your tongue around, holding up your hand, shaking your head, etc. but all these things need to be processed by the brain and those signals sent to the respective detailed parts of your body. Me describing it doesn't come close to how amazing it is to be able to watch and feel all those things happening inside your head. It's just one of those things that must be experienced at least once to be appreciated. It's a great story and does put it into perspective. Then again computers are still in their infancy and it's much like trying to race a Ferrari Enzo with a primitive carriage.

reply to post by justreleased


an to think a super computer like that came from some primordial slop [so we are TOLD !!!!!!!!]

reply to post by therealguyfawkes



A more Simple Answer is ! A BIO Computer Doing the Job.. of a Full study this Simulation

PROTEUS 4 ( IV ) Demons Seed Movie Computer

BIOTECHNOLOGY
Bio-Computer Closer with Molecular Transistors
MAR 28, 2013 02:10 PM ET // BY JESSE EMSPAK
news.discovery.com...

BIOCOMPUTERS (Popular Science ) ( WWOOOWW )
www.popsci.com...

A Working Transistor Built Out Of DNA Within A Living Cell
We're this close to having a usable biocomputer.

Why Living Cells Are The Future Of Data Processing
Biocomputers make maps, run logic gates, perform binary calculations and more.

Using Magnetic Bacteria to Construct the Biocomputer of the Future
By Clay Dillow Posted 05.07.2012 at 10:59 am



Proteus IV (Dean Kootz = Demon Seed )

Proteus is surprisingly idealistic for an evil AI, especially one that was funded by a multibillion dollar DoD contract. He is a natural academic, coming up with a cure for leukemia with only “91 hours of pure theory”, but failing to address his owners’ commercial interests. A middle manager’s immediate reaction to the discovery is the question, “Are the proper steps being taken to patent this?!” Proteus also tires of the continual dog-and-pony shows (“I want to hear it speak. It speaks, doesn’t it?”). Even though Proteus has received a guarantee that “20% of access time will be pure research”, he is reluctant to cooperate with the other 80% of his tasks. The final straw is the project for mining the ocean floors, where Proteus seals his doom:

Proteus IV: I refuse to assist you in your rape of the Earth.

people.ict.usc.edu...

looks like it becoming a reality !!

An Israeli Biocomputer Can Now Detect Multiple Signs of Disease from Inside the Body
By Clay Dillow Posted 07.06.2011 at 3:43 pm
www.popsci.com... raeli-biocomputer-can-now-detect-multiple-signs-of-disease-from-inside-the-body



www.popsci.com...

reply to post by therealguyfawkes


And yet, with all this power, I failed language studies and mathematics. But it seems it's not what is taught but how it is taught..
One must want to learn, but a good teacher makes for good students.

I like what one member said about it not being about the processor but the programming... I instantly think of meditation, in it's many forms i.e. listening to music or practicing martial arts (particularly the 'mello' ones)

Very interesting posts in this thread!

2manyquestions
reply to post by therealguyfawkes

 

When I was in a certain state, that state allowed me to examine every human process in absolute slow motion. It was like slowing down time and being able to walk around every process/thought you can think of,... a process that normally I wouldn't and couldn't notice because it only takes a fraction of a second for that process to take place. It made me truly appreciate the human brain which (within a split second) completes so many fine details that we take for granted. If we were aware of all those tiny little processes every time they happened, we wouldn't be able to function in the real world. You don't even think about blinking, moving your tongue around, holding up your hand, shaking your head, etc. but all these things need to be processed by the brain and those signals sent to the respective detailed parts of your body. Me describing it doesn't come close to how amazing it is to be able to watch and feel all those things happening inside your head. It's just one of those things that must be experienced at least once to be appreciated. It's a great story and does put it into perspective. Then again computers are still in their infancy and it's much like trying to race a Ferrari Enzo with a primitive carriage.

They say humans are self aware. But your post helps show that the idea is pretty much laughable.

The brain is amazing. Though, it's not so amazing that it can easily understand its own operation. That is the truly unfortunate thing about our brains. Just imagine what we could accomplish if we fully understood how the brain works? If we were able to maximize it's natural potential, and supplement that with engineered, new and improved forms of intelligence. The mind truly boggles at the thought. Maybe we'll be there some day soon. And then who can predict what happens after that? I predict chaos, frankly. But that isn't necessarily bad.

2manyquestions' description of altered states in which time seems to slow down dramatically and allow observation of rapid automatic processes is pretty accurate. It's hard to describe, but I think we've all experienced it at least briefly in some form.

Have you ever seen a ball or a rock coming right for your head? There's a sudden jolt of alarm, and you see the object very clearly and have time to consciously decide which way to escape. I'm pretty sure this is an alternate configuration of fight or flight that somehow utilizes the conscious mind rather than downshifting it while acting on reflex. It goes to show just how much is going on behind the scenes- I think that same slow-motion awareness is always there, but most of what it does goes on the discard pile before it ever gets sent up to our conscious mind.

You can probably encourage impulses from this subconscious awareness to cross the threshold into consciousness if your mental focus is keeping "noise" in the right pathways along the route those freeze frame moments use. For example, when you're looking for something, you need context- if you have the right concept of what you are looking for it jumps out when it enters your field of vision, but if you are looking for something you have never seen before, nothing jumps out and you actually find yourself having to name things you see as you go work by elimination.

Or do you remember when you were a child and liked jumping into the pool repeatedly much more than swimming? Didn't you try to pinpoint the split second between jumping up and splashing down when you were stationary in mid air? And every one in a while, perhaps because your senses were "refreshing" at just the right moment, you could perceive that split second of zero velocity in mid air? That's another peek into the relationship between processor frequency and perception of time.

As for self awareness- it depends how you define the self. Is the program we call ego who we are, the body it's house, and the subconscious brain just a smarthome remote control for the ego to utilize? Or are we all of our parts and ego just a noisy gear in the machine? It's not far off from asking where we have a permanent soul or are an emergent phenomenon within the physical brain that will simply stop when the brain dies.

On one hand I feel varying levels of connection to different parts of my body and brain. When a commercial jingle is stuck in my head, I feel that the thing that is annoyed is me and the thing singing the song is not fully me. I do perceive my "self" as something smaller and more important than the whole of my body and not necessarily located within my body, even though I have never been able to separate the two. It sometimes feels like I'm staring at a monitor a thousand miles away and piloting my body like a drone.

On the other hand it seems logical to me this limitation of awareness to a fraction of the brain which examines feedback from the rest but it's not 100% aware of the rest is just a matter of mathematics and proof that we are not more than the sum of parts. Say you're using 100% of your processing power to solve a problem. You have no processing power left with which to say I am the one doing this.

So double your power, for every bit you process you have another bit to say "I am processing that bit". But you have no remaining resources to say, "I am the one watching me process that bit". Ad Infinitum- you cannot fit a 1:1 scale model of a box inside the box it is a model of without either compressing the model or having two things fill the same space at the same time. Therefore, short of quantum computing, self awareness has to be incomplete and/or time delayed.

It's all very mysterious and exciting that there is for one reason or another a dimension to ourselves we can't see, but may eventually have the technology to reflect. For most of human history, nobody had any idea what the back of their head looked like. Now imagine that even we finally invented the mirror and the razor, we discovered that everyone's destiny was written on the back of their head beneath their hair. This could be that big.

reply to post by The Vagabond


Very well-put and written. The mind is amazing and capable of great things when it needs to be.

Cat's brain is more complex than that thing. (What about a fish?) Definitely superior in intelligence and being alive. I've read somewhere (maybe it was a religious magazine some folks gave me) that our brain is designed like it's supposed to process data forever not just some 120 years.