IBM’s Synapse marshals the power of the human brain in a computer

Here's an article about IBM's Synapse which researchers say is like having a Super Computer in the palm of your hand. They say it's no longer a dream but a reality.

IBM has helped create an electronic “brain chip” after a decade of research. If all goes as planned, it could be one of the greatest inventions of the computing era, and this is not an understatement.

The IBM Synapse chip is like a modern supercomputer in the space of a postage stamp, outperforming today’s fastest microprocessors because it processes data in a more efficient way — similar to the way that the brain works. It weighs just a few grams, and something as small as a hearing-aid battery could power it. It could find use in a variety of mobile, cloud, and distributed-sensor applications.

“I’m holding in my hand a new machine for a new era,” said Dharmendra Modha, principal investigator on a project that was created by the IBM Almaden Research Center and a bunch of other research institutions. “It’s the culmination of over a decade of our research. Ten years ago, many believed this was impossible. The impossible has become possible, and the possible will very soon be real applications.”

The ambition is huge. IBM’s so-called cognitive computing chips could one day simulate and emulate the brain’s ability to sense, perceive, interact, and recognize — all tasks that humans can currently do much better than computers can.

Modha asked for permission to “geek out” as he explained the features of the chip. It has a million neurons (brain cells), 256 million synapses, and 4,096 neurosynaptic cores, arranged in a 64 x 64 array. It has 400 million bits of local on-chip memory. The cores can be connected via a network on a chip.

“You can tile these chips seamlessly, and it becomes twice the chip,” Modha said. “We have already tiled 16 of them in a 4 x 4 array, to create a 16 million neuron, 4 billion synapse core.”

“This chip is capable of 46 billion SOPs per watt,” Modha said. “It’s a supercomputer the size of a postage stamp, the weight of a feather, and the power consumption of a hearing-aid battery.”

venturebeat.com...

We truly live in some exciting times and in the next 20 to 30 years things could look very different. With the advances in Science and Technology we should see even more of the transition from a type 0 to a type 1 civilization Dr. Kaku talked about if a disease or a major war doesn't wipe us out first.

Lets hope it is used for good. Amazing possibilities.

I hate to imagine the devastating effects of something like this when used by the military.

First step to breeding our Cylon overlords. Woohoo

Now if we can just find a way to download our consciousness into it...

a reply to: boncho

As long as I get a Cylon Raider out of the deal, I'm game.

Let's do this, IBM.

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
Now if we can just find a way to download our consciousness into it...

Right on time with this film...

"Some scientists refer to this as singularity, I call it transcendence."

Who would want a chip like that. Human like processing? It's hard to get humans to do anything, most times they over think everything and get nothing accomplished. I suppose it will be chewing on chips all day long and wanting benefits.

So there goes the rest of the jobs, they can train this thing to swindle us out of our money and make those phone calls that bug us all the time. They will even outsource the jobs they give to India nowadays.

This certainly is an exciting time with the breakthroughs in technology though I am kind of perturbed when I think of how outdated and ancient all the stuff I have is now. I just got it damit.

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
Now if we can just find a way to download our consciousness into it...

A Russian Billionaire who is apparently enjoying his billions is working on this to achieve immortality.

2045.com...
The final phase of this project is to create an artificial brain in which to transfer the original individual consciousness into.

a reply to: pennydrops

Probably the holy grail in AI. Synapse chips should be able to filter out noise to recognize imagery and sounds far better than today's chips.

originally posted by: Grimpachi
This certainly is an exciting time with the breakthroughs in technology though I am kind of perturbed when I think of how outdated and ancient all the stuff I have is now. I just got it damit.

Good point lol. It's like you buy something and the next time you look up, there's a new version available. This could really begin to speed things up.

Double post

originally posted by: glend
a reply to: pennydrops

Probably the holy grail in AI. Synapse chips should be able to filter out noise to recognize imagery and sounds far better than today's chips.

Would it improve camera technology? Super duper high definition perhaps? Hm...

It has a million neurons (brain cells), 256 million synapses, and 4,096 neurosynaptic cores, [bold]arranged in a 64 x 64 array.[/bold]

Am I the only one who thinks this way when I read "64 by 64" and keep thinking but why square???.... Maybe its a bit like asking, but why Microsoft I don't know........

a reply to: funkadeliaaaa

It's actually a square of a square of a cube.

Now does it make sense?

No? Gooood.

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
Now if we can just find a way to download our consciousness into it...

while you might make an AI with it's own personality or you could perhaps more or less emulate an individual personality and memories that is not the same as transferring your own self awareness into a machine. you will still be you and subject to your inevitable fate. whereas the emulation or AI will experience it's own unique existence. it will have it's own voice that refers to itself as "I" "me' or "my" or "myself." but it's self referent "I" will never be yours. and yours will never be it's.

Just to be clear, this new chip is not like normal processors and is not intended to be.

It is a completely different architecture and can't use existing methodologies for programming. It is designed to process sensory inputs, like the kinds that come from sounds, sights, etc.

The way that neural processing works is based on feedback mechanisms, which this new technology is superior at managing. The feedback mechanisms help the program or computer "learn" by adjusting its algorithms constantly based on new input or feedback. This is very similar to how cognition is, and is based on sensory input. As you see, touch, smell and feel things, this is processed by your brain and works with your logical functions to guide you in decision making and understanding your surroundings. The goal of this chip is to act like that cognitive part of your brain, sort of as a right-brain.

Today's processors are more like the left-brain function, very logical and black and white. That is why computers always feel so "cold" and like they will never be able to compete with human thought.

Once they get this new chip working, that will change.

Eventually, they will bridge the two types of processing and you will have real AI.

Give it about 5-7 years and you'll start seeing this in practical applications before it becomes mainstream in about 10 more years.... if we make it that long.

~Namaste

a reply to: pl3bscheese

Why not sphere?

a reply to: funkadeliaaaa

because that just doesn't make any sense!

you really don't get this stuff :/

a reply to: pl3bscheese

... it makes sense to me ...