IBM and The Ecole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne (EPFL) announced they are beginning work on an artificial brain designed on the cellular level. They call this project the “Big Blue Brain”. They should come to Kentucky in October; we’ve got millions of people with big blue brains.

The two organizations are teaming up to create a neocortex in order to better understand the mind. IBM’s Blue Gene supercomputer will be providing the brain power on this task and the scientists involve figure this will help them better understand the brain and in time greatly advance neuroscience.

“Modeling the brain at the cellular level is a massive undertaking because of the hundreds of thousands of parameters that need to be taken into account,” said Henry Markram, the EPFL professor heading up the project. “IBM has unparalleled experience in biological simulations and the most advanced supercomputing technology in the world. With our combined resources and expertise we are embarking on one of the most ambitious research initiatives ever undertaken in the field of neuroscience.”

The first phase of the project will be to make a software replica of a column of the neocortex. The neocortex constitutes about 85% of the human brain’s total mass and is thought to be responsible for the cognitive functions of language, learning, memory and complex thought.

An accurate replica of the neocortical column is the essential first step to simulating the whole brain and also will provide the link between genetic, molecular and cognitive levels of brain function. The second and subsequent phases will be to expand the simulation to include circuitry from other brain regions and eventually the whole brain.

“Blue Gene is by far the fastest supercomputing system in the world, giving scientists access to unprecedented levels of computing power,” said Tilak Agerwala, Vice President of Systems, IBM Research. “What really matters is not the power itself, but how it is applied to accelerate innovation and discovery in science, engineering and business.”
Where Does This Go?

This big operation will be using four racks of Blue Gene and that adds up to about 23 teraflops. That’s faster than Chuck Yeager flying the Millennium Falcon. The project will last about two years and real understanding is expected and will advance neuroscience.
The problem I see is this: Where do we go from here? Many say this will allow us treat all the problems with the human brain. We will be able to treat many disorders like depression and maybe ADHD in children or even many physical ailments just by making some minor adjustments in the chemical flow and wiring of the brain.

I would say though that will all this innovation, depending on how it’s used, we’ll lose our ability to innovate. I don’t suggest that on some level correcting various problems won’t help many people and many people live and die with them every day and sometimes these things are quite painful. But they define human existence. Little quirks with the brain are what makes human different.

Imagine Emily Dickinson without depression. In retrospect famed photographer Ansel Adams had what some might call a learning disorder today. Einstein? Would legendary astrophysicist Stephen Hawking provide the same outlook to the world if he didn’t have ALS? I’m not suggesting that people don’t deserve relief but I am suggesting that sometimes people who overcome and adjust their “deficiencies” can turn them into serious advantages. Adversity in the human existence determines who we are and allows us our greatest triumphs.

It’s ok to understand how things work but one must look at the moral conundrums that arise with the development and understanding. Jeff Goldblum’s character in Jurassic Park said it best, “We’re so busy trying to figure out if we could, we didn’t stop to think if we should.” (paraphrase of course). At the very least, go back and reread Isaac Asimov a little more carefully.

John Stith is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.