One of the boldest brain-modelling projects ever attempted is about to get under way in Switzerland. A team of neuroscientists plans to use a supercomputer to create a biologically realistic simulation of the neural circuits responsible for higher mental processes in humans and other mammals. But experts elsewhere are divided about its chances of success. Most brain models focus either on large- or small-scale features. Some teams have connected huge networks of simple units to recreate brain functions such as vision, for example, whereas others have built detailed computer simulations of individual neurons. Now a team from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) will use the IBM supercomputer Blue Gene/L in an attempt to combine both approaches.
展开▼
