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*Artificial brain '10 years away' *Wednesday, 22 July 2009 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8164060.stm> By Jonathan Fildes Technology reporter, BBC News, Oxford [image: Professor Markram at TED] Professor Markram said he would send a hologram to talk at TED in 10 years *A detailed, functional artificial human brain can be built within the next 10 years, a leading scientist has claimed.* Henry Markram, director of the Blue Brain Project, has already simulated elements of a rat brain. He told the TED Global conference in Oxford that a synthetic human brain would be of particular use finding treatments for mental illnesses. Around two billion people are thought to suffer some kind of brain impairment, he said. "It is not impossible to build a human brain and we can do it in 10 years," he said. "And if we do succeed, we will send a hologram to TED to talk." *'Shared fabric'* The Blue Brain project was launched in 2005 and aims to reverse engineer the mammalian brain from laboratory data. In particular, his team has focused on the neocortical column - repetitive units of the mammalian brain known as the neocortex. [image: Neurons] The team are trying to reverse engineer the brain "It's a new brain," he explained. "The mammals needed it because they had to cope with parenthood, social interactions complex cognitive functions. "It was so successful an evolution from mouse to man it expanded about a thousand fold in terms of the numbers of units to produce this almost frightening organ." And that evolution continues, he said. "It is evolving at an enormous speed." Over the last 15 years, Professor Markram and his team have picked apart the structure of the neocortical column. "It's a bit like going and cataloguing a bit of the rainforest - how may trees does it have, what shape are the trees, how many of each type of tree do we have, what is the position of the trees," he said. "But it is a bit more than cataloguing because you have to describe and discover all the rules of communication, the rules of connectivity." The project now has a software model of "tens of thousands" of neurons - each one of which is different - which has allowed them to digitally construct an artificial neocortical column. Although each neuron is unique, the team has found the patterns of circuitry in different brains have common patterns. "Even though your brain may be smaller, bigger, may have different morphologies of neurons - we do actually share the same fabric," he said. "And we think this is species specific, which could explain why we can't communicate across species." *World view* To make the model come alive, the team feeds the models and a few algorithms into a supercomputer. "You need one laptop to do all the calculations for one neuron," he said. "So you need ten thousand laptops." [image: Computer-generated image of a human brain] The research could give insights into brain disease Instead, he uses an IBM Blue Gene machine with 10,000 processors. Simulations have started to give the researchers clues about how the brain works. For example, they can show the brain a picture - say, of a flower - and follow the electrical activity in the machine. "You excite the system and it actually creates its own representation," he said. Ultimately, the aim would be to extract that representation and project it so that researchers could see directly how a brain perceives the world. But as well as advancing neuroscience and philosophy, the Blue Brain project has other practical applications. For example, by pooling all the world's neuroscience data on animals - to create a "Noah's Ark", researchers may be able to build animal models. FROM BBC WORLD SERVICE More from BBC World Service <http://bbc.co.uk/worldservice/index.shtml> "We cannot keep on doing animal experiments forever," said Professor Markram. It may also give researchers new insights into diseases of the brain. "There are two billion people on the planet affected by mental disorder," he told the audience. The project may give insights into new treatments, he said. The TED Global conference runs from 21 to 24 July in Oxford, UK. നൂറ്റാണ്ടിലെ ഏറ്റവും ദീര്ഘിച സൂര്യ ഗ്രഹണം: *"വിഡ്ഢികള് ഈ പ്രപഞ്ച പ്രതിഭാസത്തില് തങ്ങളെപ്പോലെയുള്ള ഒരു സൃഷ്ടിയായ സൂര്യനെ വണങ്ങി, വിവേകികള് അതിനു പിന്നില് പ്രവര്ത്തിക്കുന്ന മഹാ ശക്തിയെയും വണങ്ങി"* അങ്ങനെ പാപങ്ങളും പുണ്യങ്ങളും കരസ്ഥമാക്കി. The longest solar eclipse of the century<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html> *July 22, 2009 <http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html> (Use j/k keys to navigate) <http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html> * Earlier today, the moon passed directly in front of the sun, causing a total solar eclipse that crossed nearly half the Earth - through India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China. Today's was the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, lasting as much as 6 minutes and 39 seconds in a few areas. Despite cloudy skies in many of the populated areas in the path, millions of people gathered outside to gaze up and view this rare event. Collected here are a few images of the eclipse, and those people who came out to watch. (33 photos total<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html> ) <http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html> People watch the solar eclipse on the peak of Malu Mountain in Liuzhou, China on July 22, 2009. A total solar eclipse covered a narrow path across Asia, where it darkened skies for millions of people for more than six minutes in some places. (REUTERS/China Daily) 2<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo2> A man reacts while watching the solar eclipse with a pair of protective glasses in Taipei, taiwan on July 22, 2009. (REUTERS/Pichi Chuang) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo2> 3<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo3> An aircraft flies past the sun during a solar eclipse above New Delhi, India on July 22, 2009. (REUTERS/B Mathur) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo3> 4<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo4> Hindu devotees observe a solar eclipse through specially-designed viewing glasses as they take holy dips in the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Sarawati River, in Allahabad, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo4> 5<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo5> A partial solar eclipse is seen as an internally displaced man loads his belongings onto the back of a truck before departing from the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) Yar Hussain camp in pakistan's Swabi district, about 120 km (75 mi) northwest of Islamabad on July 22, 2009. (REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo5> 6<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo6> Hindu devotees gather along the banks of the River Ganges to watch the total solar eclipse in the northern Indian city of Varanasi July 22, 2009. (REUTERS/Jayanta Shaw) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo6> 7<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo7> A partial solar eclipse is seen near the minaret of a mosque in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on Wednesday, July 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo7> 8<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo8> Children watch a solar eclipse through protective glasses outside a planetarium in Taipei, Taiwan on July 22, 2009. (PATRICK LIN/AFP/Getty Images) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo8> 9<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo9> The roof of the Yellow Crane Tower is silhouetted below a partial solar eclipse in Wuhan, Hubei province, China on July 22, 2009. (REUTERS/Stringer) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo9> 10<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo10> Taiwanese spectators spell out a message made from tiny pinhole projections of the partial solar eclipse outside the astrological museum in Taipei, Taiwan on July 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Wally Santana) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo10> 11<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo11> A partial solar eclipse is seen beyond a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the southern Indian city of Chennai, India on July 22, 2009. (REUTERS/Babu) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo11> 12<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo12> South Korean student Jo Sang-young watches the solar eclipse through a stack of sunglasses at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo12> 13<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo13> The moon passes between the sun and the earth, nearing a total solar eclipse, as seen in Changsha, Hunan province, China on July 22, 2009. (REUTERS/Stringer) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo13> 14<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo14> A man continues his chore - emptying a rubbish bin in front of the world's largest stone Buddha statue - despite the darkness of the total solar eclipse above the city of Leshan, Sichuan province, China on July 22, 2009. (REUTERS/David Gray) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo14> 15<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo15> The sun's edge, or limb, peeks out from behind the moon during a total solar eclipse above Varanasi, India on Wednesday, July 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo15> 16<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo16> People congregate on the banks of the River Ganges watching a total solar eclipse in Varanasi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo16> 17<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo17> A red crescent of sun is visible during a total solar eclipse seen above Varanasi, India on Wednesday, July 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo17> 18<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo18> Much of the sun's corona becomes visible as the moon passes between the sun and the earth during a total solar eclipse, seen above Varanasi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo18> <http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#> <http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/eclipse_07_22/e19_B9753057.jpg> 19<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo19> Buildings in the Shanghai Bund, seen on the banks of the Huangpu River just before a total solar eclipse on July 22, 2009. A few minutes later, Shanghai was plunged into darkness in the shadow of the moon. (REUTERS/Aly Song) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo19> *Click on the image above to watch an animated fade to darkness. -- javascript required* 20<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo20> People use their mobile phones to take photos as they join thousands of people along the Ganges river to watch a solar eclipse in the Indian city of Varanasi on July 22, 2009. (PEDRO UGARTE/AFP/Getty Images) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo20> 21<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo21> In this handout image provided by National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, the sun's corona is clearly visible during the solar eclipse on July 22, 2009, seen near Iwojima Island, Tokyo, Japan. (Hideo Fukushima/National Astronomical Observatory of Japan via Getty Images) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo21> 22<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo22> People watch the solar eclipse at Dhulia Gach village, 57 km (35 mi) south of the eastern Indian city of Siliguri, July 22, 2009. (REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo22> 23<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo23> A statue of Chairman Mao Zedong is silhouetted against a partial solar eclipse in Wuhan, Hubei province, China on July 22, 2009. (REUTERS/Stringer) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo23> 24<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo24> A partial solar eclipse is seen behind the Taj Mahal in the northern Indian city of Agra on July 22, 2009. (REUTERS/Brijesh Singh) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo24> 25<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo25> A boy uses a piece of smoked glass to observe a solar eclipse in Tianjin municipality, China on July 22, 2009. (REUTERS/Vincent Du) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo25> 26<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo26> A dinosaur sculpture situated outside a themed restaurant is silhouetted against a partial solar eclipse in Taipei, Taiwan on July 22, 2009. (REUTERS/Pichi Chuang) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo26> 27<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo27> A family tries to capture a solar eclipse with their mobile phone cameras at the national parliament complex in Dhaka, Bangladesh on July 22, 2009. (REUTERS/Andrew Biraj) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo27> 28<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo28> A bird flies past a partial solar eclipse, seen behind one of the domes of the Golden Temple - the Sikhs holiest shrine - in Amritsar, India on July 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo28> 29<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo29> A photographer takes pictures of a solar eclipse through exposed X-ray film during sunrise in New Delhi on July 22, 2009. (TENGKU BAHAR/AFP/Getty Images) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo29> 30<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo30> A partial solar eclipse is seen through the window panels of the Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan, Taiwan on July 22, 2009. (REUTERS/Nicky Loh) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo30> 31<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo31> Residents listen to an expert from a science and technology museum give a talk during a partial eclipse in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, China on July 22, 2009. (REUTERS/Stringer) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo31> 32<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo32> Girls try out a pair of protective eyewear during a solar eclipse viewing event at the national parliament complex in Dhaka, Bangladesh on July 22, 2009. (REUTERS/Andrew Biraj) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo32> 33<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo33> A partial solar eclipse is seen through clouds in Hyderabad, Pakistan on Wednesday, July 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil) #<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/07/the_longest_solar_eclipse_of_t.html#photo33> --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Nor can Goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (evil) with what is better; then the enmity between him and you will become as if it were your friend and intimate! Visit: sultan.org Subscribe: [email protected] Post to group: [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
