February 02, 2010
Blue Brain Year One:
Film-maker Noah Hutton has just released an excellent 15-minute documentary on the Blue Brain project that captures the team as they work and explains the goals of the ambitious attempt to simulate animal, and eventually, human scale neural networks on computer.
It's an interesting look both inside the scientific mission and inside the mind of project leader Henry Markram, whom it must be said, is largely talking about the potential of the project rather than what it can do now.
It's probably worth saying that Markram is not known for underselling his efforts, and some of his projections seem a little unrealistic.
At one point he mentions that the project could be used in hospital so doctors can simulate the effects of drugs on a digital brain to see if they'll work before giving patients the real thing. Best of luck with that chaps.
It's a great short piece, however, and apparently there are more to come in the future.
Link to Blue Brain: Year One.
