4 replies to this topic

[firespin]

Taiwanese researchers have managed to decode 16,000 of the 100,000 neurons of the fruit-fly brain and reconstruct it virtually. The project is also open so other researchers around the world can contribute as well. One day it will be possible to fully simulate a virtual fruit-fly. This general structure of the fruit-fly brain is also similar to human brains.

"It’s not out of the question that if we had a complete cellular map and a good database, that we could create virtual organisms," Dr. Sporns said.

Links:
http://scienceblogs....las_decoded.php
http://www.nytimes.c...euron.html?_r=1

Edited by firespin, 03 January 2011 - 11:58 PM.

[niner]

Automatic message


This topic has been moved from "Bioscience, Health & Nutrition -> Bioscience" to "Science & Technology -> Computer Science -> AI & Singularity".

[forever freedom]

Very interesting research. I'm sure it'll be mentioned in Kurzweil's next book.

[Reno]

I've heard that simulations are possible, but doing a simulation in real-time is the rub. The question I've been waiting to be answered is, how do you simulate a living fruit fly's brain in real-time?

Edited by Reno, 04 January 2011 - 11:14 PM.

[firespin]

I've heard that simulations are possible, but doing a simulation in real-time is the rub. The question I've been waiting to be answered is, how do you simulate a living fruit fly's brain in real-time?

We already have a form of simulation by programming computer/video games with instructions of what the video game can do. I think it would be the same for a fruit-fly's brain, though much more complex. If you know what every neuron and brain-cell in a fruit-fly does, and what they connect to, I would think simulation would be the easy part.

This is pretty exiciting, as I see it when the project is complete it will lead to the first true AI... then from there it will be easier to work toward AI at a human level.

Edited by firespin, 05 January 2011 - 04:15 AM.