HISTORY

The Blue Brain Project is an attempt to create a synthetic brain by reverse-engineering the Mammalian brain(Human or any living entity’s brain) down to the molecular level.

The aim of the project, founded in May 2005 by the Brain and Mind Institute of Switzerland is to study the brain's architectural and functional principles. The project is headed by the Institute's director, Henry Markram.

Using a Blue Gene supercomputer running Michael Hines's NEURON software, the simulation does not consist simply of an artificial neural network, but involves a biologically realistic model of neurons. It is hoped that it will eventually shed light on the nature of consciousness.

There are a number of sub-projects, including the Cajal Blue Brain, coordinated by the Supercomputing and Visualization Center of Madrid (CeSViMa), and others run by universities and independent laboratories.

PEOPLE BEHIND BLUE BRAIN PROJECT :

Project Director : Prof Henry markram

1. Neocortical column modelling

The initial goal of the project, completed in December 2006, was the simulation of a rat neocortical column, which can be considered the smallest functional unit of the neocortex. Such a column is about 2 mm tall, has a diameter of 0.5 mm and contains about 60,000 neurons in humans.

2. Whole brain simulation

A longer term goal is to build a detailed, functional simulation of the physiological processes in the human brain

"It is not impossible to build a human brain and we can do it in 10 years," Henry Markram, director of the Blue Brain Project said in 2009 at the TED conference in Oxford.

In a BBC World Service interview he said: "If we build it correctly it should speak and have an intelligence and behave very much as a human does."

NECESSITY

Human brain is the most valuable creation of God. The man is called intelligent because of the brain. The brain translates the information delivered by the impulses , which then enables the person to react.

But we loss the knowledge of a brain when the body is destroyed after the death of man. That knowledge might have been used for the development of the human society.

That’s why the Blue brain is created so that we can save the memory of a mammalian brain in a super computer.

INTRODUCTION

The Blue Brain Project is an attempt to create a synthetic brain by reverse-engineering the mammalian brain down to the molecular level in order to understand brain function through detailed simulations.

Simply modeling of Mammalian Brain Is it really possible to model a human brain?

“YES", The IBM is now developing a virtual brain known as the BLUE BRAIN.

IBM’s Blue Gene supercomputer allows a quantum leap in the level of detail at which the brain can be modelled.

It would be the worlds first virtual brain. In 2020, we will be able to scan ourselves into the

computers.

On 1 July 2005, the Brain Mind Institute (BMI) and IBM (International Business Machines) launched the Blue Brain Project Using the enormous computing power of IBM’s prototype Blue Gene/L supercomputer.

The aims of this ambitious initiative are to simulate the brains of mammals with a high level of biological accuracy and, ultimately, to study the steps involved in the emergence of biological intelligence.

Hardware and Software

Requirements for modelling the Brain

Memory with a very large storing capacity.

Processor with a very high processing power.

A very wide network.

A program to convert the electric impulses from the brain to input signal, which is to be received by the computer and vice versa.

very powerful Nanobots to act as the interface between the natural brain and the computer.

Finally it is a SUPERCOMPUTER

Modelling

Neurons receive inputs from thousands of other neurons, and has branches of highly complex dendritic trees and require tens of thousands of compartments to accurately represent them.

Therefore a massive increase in computational power is required to make this quantum leap — an increase that is provided by IBM’s Blue Gene supercomputer.

Using a Blue Gene supercomputer running Michael Hines's NEURON software, the simulation does not consist simply of an artificial neural network, but involves a biologically realistic model of neurons.

Molecular, morphological and electrical properties of the different neurons and their synaptic pathways are quantitated by Infrared differential interference microscopy in brain slices and the use of multi-neuron patch-clamping

Over the past 10 years, the laboratory has prepared for this reconstruction by developing the multi-neuron patch-clamp approach, recording from thousands of neocortical neurons and their synaptic connections, and developing quantitative approaches to allow a complete numerical breakdown of

the elementary building blocks of the NCC.

2013

 

February - decision expected on Human Brain Project funding of €1 billion over 10 years from the EU Simulations using NEURON software ported to the Blue Gene/Q system in Jülich

2014

 

Cellular-level simulation of the entire rat brain neocortex, ~100 mesocircuits NEURON simulation software ported to the DEEP Cluster-Booster prototype system in Jülich

2020 

Exascale simulations start on the DEEP Cluster-Booster production system in Jülich

2023 

Cellular-level simulation of the entire human brain, equivalent to 1,000x the size of the rat brain

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 simulation.

Making decisions without the presence of the person.

We become dependent upon the computer.

Others may use technical knowledge against us.

Another fear is found today with respect to human cloning.

• We will be able to turn ourselves into computers.

References :Nature reviews : Neuroscience

http://bluebrain.epfl.ch/