Tiny chip mimics brain, delivers supercomputer speed

steve001

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I wonder what would happen if many were joined to work together?

Researchers Thursday unveiled a powerful new postage-stamp size chip delivering supercomputer performance using a process that mimics the human brain.
The so-called "neurosynaptic" chip is a breakthrough that opens a wide new range of computing possibilities from self-driving cars to artificial intelligence systems that can installed on a smartphone, the scientists say.

The researchers from IBM, Cornell Tech and collaborators from around the world said they took an entirely new approach in design compared with previous computer architecture, moving toward a system called "cognitive computing."

"We have taken inspiration from the cerebral cortex to design this chip," said IBM chief scientist for brain-inspired computing, Dharmendra Modha, referring to the command center of the brain.

He said existing computers trace their lineage back to machines from the 1940s which are essentially "sequential number-crunching calculators" that perform mathematical or "left brain" tasks but little else.

The new chip dubbed "TrueNorth" works to mimic the "right brain" functions of sensory processing—responding to sights, smells and information from the environment to "learn" to respond in different situations, Modha said.



Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-08-tiny-chip-mimics-brain-supercomputer.html#jCp
 
To which I answer with this: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/iage/201402/complexity-our-brain

This: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/jul/07/human-brain-project-researchers-threaten-boycott

And this:

We actually know so little about the brain compared to what we've actually found out, that to say we can emulate a human brain seems to be rather short sighted.

We also have to factor the parapsychological data (which isn't widely known of course), plus the fact that the brain can adapt to injury, and have it's structure changed by conscious attention (nueroplasticity) and that some people gain incredible abilities after the result of serious brain injury. We also have no idea what consciousness is at all really. So I think there are too many variables to say that combining these chips would create a human brain.
 
To which I answer with this: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/iage/201402/complexity-our-brain

This: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/jul/07/human-brain-project-researchers-threaten-boycott

And this:

We actually know so little about the brain compared to what we've actually found out, that to say we can emulate a human brain seems to be rather short sighted.

We also have to factor the parapsychological data (which isn't widely known of course), plus the fact that the brain can adapt to injury, and have it's structure changed by conscious attention (nueroplasticity) and that some people gain incredible abilities after the result of serious brain injury. We also have no idea what consciousness is at all really. So I think there are too many variables to say that combining these chips would create a human brain.
You are putting words into my mouth. I wonder what would result putting many working together. Maybe a simple insect type of mind might happen.
 
If this thing works as described, I think we're in for a pretty exciting decade in the tech world!
 
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We wouldn't. The same way I don't know whether or not you are one, and vice versa. But based on what we've done so far, we have come up with programs that act as though they're conscious, but just follow preprogrammed outputs and algorithms. Unless you follow determinism, there isn't much room to consider consciousness within conscious life to have some sort of preprogrammed cognition. At most you can have genetic predispositions to certain types of thought.
 
I knew there was a reason I wasn't buying into the hype...

http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/ibm-unveils-chip-simulating-brain-functions-1407434402?mobile=y&mod=ST1

The headline about it simulating brain function is just that; a headline.

This thing is just a more efficient computer chip. Yet they're selling it as if they've literally simulated the human brain.

What that article basically says is that it does things current computer chips already do except faster, and with less power.

Just hype meant to boost stock prices.
 
You are putting words into my mouth. I wonder what would result putting many working together. Maybe a simple insect type of mind might happen.

I'm not sure that insects have simple minds. Most people would agree with the idea that they do, but I'm not sure on what basis this idea could be reasonably supported.
 
I knew there was a reason I wasn't buying into the hype...

http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/ibm-unveils-chip-simulating-brain-functions-1407434402?mobile=y&mod=ST1

The headline about it simulating brain function is just that; a headline.

This thing is just a more efficient computer chip. Yet they're selling it as if they've literally simulated the human brain.

What that article basically says is that it does things current computer chips already do except faster, and with less power.

Just hype meant to boost stock prices.
Must be time to get on the soapbox about materialist propaganda.
Or, I would, except BS headlines aren't even remotely a new thing.
 
You're on a psi forum asking this question? ;-)
Yes. How could we know?

We suppose that humans are conscious because otherwise we have to come up with a highly complex mechanism whereby we would say we are conscious even though we are not. But for a machine, that complex mechanism could be programmed.

I think the way we will know is that we will build a machine that learns, like a human baby, without explicit consciousness programming, but with whatever mechanisms we think allow for consciousness. Then we will see if it acts like us with respect to consciousness.

~~ Paul
 
Must be time to get on the soapbox about materialist propaganda.
Or, I would, except BS headlines aren't even remotely a new thing.
You can't be serious. The announcement is "materialist propaganda"? It might be capitalist propaganda, but I doubt IBM has a Department of Materialism pushing this.

When someone is selling psychic powers, is that immaterialist propaganda?

You people are funny. Or kidding.

~~ Paul
 
Yes. How could we know?

We suppose that humans are conscious because otherwise we have to come up with a highly complex mechanism whereby we would say we are conscious even though we are not. But for a machine, that complex mechanism could be programmed.

I think the way we will know is that we will build a machine that learns, like a human baby, without explicit consciousness programming, but with whatever mechanisms we think allow for consciousness. Then we will see if it acts like us with respect to consciousness.

~~ Paul

Alright Paul, maybe I'm not joking around on that other thread anymore - you really are a biological brick wall, lol. You took me my comment, which was in jest, entirely too seriously. I know you know where most proponents think psi is leading us, even if you don't necessarily agree. So I ask you in a different way, how do you think we (as psychic beings!) can ultimately tell if am AI device is truly conscious?
 
You can't be serious. The announcement is "materialist propaganda"? It might be capitalist propaganda, but I doubt IBM has a Department of Materialism pushing this.

When someone is selling psychic powers, is that immaterialist propaganda?

You people are funny. Or kidding.

~~ Paul
The first sentence was (I thought) pretty clearly sarcastic. If I was going to make a discussion at that angle, I would bring something more than just some silly headline. Not that I'd bother making that particular discussion, as it would probably be generally be a waste of time and hassle for all involved parties.

The second sentence is pretty solidly not sarcasm. It is a BS headline. If someone had figured out how to mimic human. Brain function, that'd be all over the news pretty quick.
 
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