February 10, 2009
Buck Rogers is not a blueprint:
A quote from a recent Wired article that discusses a project to create a computer architecture based on the neurobiology of the brain. It sounds suspiciously like it's based on Dr Theopolis from 70s TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century:
In what could be one of the most ambitious computing projects ever, neuroscientists, computer engineers and psychologists are coming together in a bid to create an entirely new computing architecture that can simulate the brain's abilities for perception, interaction and cognition. All that, while being small enough to fit into a lunch box and consuming extremely small amounts of power.
Just because you didn't mention Buck Rogers in the grant application, it doesn't mean we don't know what you're up to.
I mean, I'd love to recreate the magic of 'Planet of the Amazon Women' too, but you'll need more than a fully conscious cognitively aware AI than runs off two AA batteries.
If you're completely mystified, and / or under the age of 30, you may want to check out this clip on YouTube. Dr Theopolis is the, er, lunch box like-AI on the table. He usually hangs round the neck of the annoying android Twiki.
On a slightly more serious note, I just checked out Kwabena Boahen's Stanford talk where he discusses exactly this sort of project to create neurally inspired computer chips. Definitely worth a look.
Link to Wired article on cognitive computing.
Link to Kwabena Boahen's talk on neurally inspired chips.
