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Let's build a brain

We've all got one and although some work better than others, there's an amazing amount of consistency between the them.

I'm talking about brains.

Although we understand the basic topology, structure and chemistry of the brain, we're still a long way from even remotely understanding how the synapses, neurons, glia and other components work together to create intelligence and consciousness. That small point however, is not about to deter the scientists who are about to embark on an attempt to create a human brain.

Well more accurately, they intend to create a model of the human brain - so as to better understand its mysteries and perhaps open doors to new computing strategies.

Given just the sheer scale of the human brain, this is a very ambitious project.

How many neurons in an average human brain?

About 86 billion, that's how many -- well at least that's the current estimate, although earlier guesses had suggested closer to 100 billion or even 200 billion.

Bioengineer Amina Ann Qutub from Rice University has been quoted as saying that "the number of total cells, including the neurons, vascular cells, and glia in a human brain is more than the number of stars in the milky way"

Of course, since each neuron can have a thousand or more dendritic branches allowing connection with thousands of others, there can be as many as 10^14 interconnects in the brain itself, making for one hell of a wiring job.

Despite the daunting task ahead of them, those behind this project believe they'll have completed preliminary models that may offer valuable data to medical researchers within just three years.

It strikes me that, given the scale of this project, the perfect platform would be something similar to the SETI@home concept -- where spare CPU cycles from millions of computers connected to the internet could be harnessed and dedicated to such an emulation.

If we were able to recruit even 10 million PCs, each emulating 10,000 neurons then we'd already have the 100 billion neurons of the human brain. High-speed broadband, although much slower than the direct synaptic connections in our brain, would be able to deliver the interconnects so it would simply be a case of coming up with some software to create the emulation.

Now before everyone starts typing away, recounting scifi stories where this very scenario (or something very similar) has has been depicted - usually with disastrous consequences, I really wonder if we'd end up with anything more than the infrastructure.

Since we have absolutely no idea what creates sentience it is most unlikely that when we "flicked the switch", such an emulation would do anything other than create random noise. Even operating at full speed, our brains take years to develop basics such as language skills, an understanding of right and wrong, personality and other traits linked with a true intelligence.

Whatever the outcome of this project and however it is implemented, I shall be watching with great interest.

I'd be interested to hear readers' comments in respect to what we ought to do if we do manage to create a machine with conscious awareness and intelligence. Once built, would turning it off be morally unacceptable and tantamount to murder?

Would we (as its creators) be that intelligence's "God"?

Okay... obligatory Skynet reference.

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