neuroscientist measure the wit ’s electrical body process using technologies such as Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging ( fMRI ) , Electroencephalography ( EEG ) and electrical investigation .
Through such technologies we know that sure patterns of activeness may indicate disorders such as dementia praecox , epilepsy and Alzheimer ’s disease .
Flickr / Ars Electronica , CC BY - NC - ND .
But what these kinds of measuring do n’t tell us is how nous cell ( neurons ) work together to enable complex functions such as movement , intelligence and emotions . This is wherecomputational neurosciencecomes in .
Answering these interrogation about calculation in the mind is the holy grail of neuroscience , or perhaps more aptly the one billion Euro question , which is how much the European Union latterly entrust to theHuman Brain Project .
The product between electronic engineering and neuroscience was lately highlighted by myself and co - guest editors for theInstitute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers . We looked at research on both excitingnew technology inspired by biota , and progress being made in encephalon science .
Why the Brain Knows Best
As acomputational neuroscientist , my ownresearch groupwants to understand why the brain excels at extract entropy from our sensory faculty .
For example , automatic speech recognitionlags far behind the brainat project such as separating voices in noisy environments . What is it about neurons that make the brain well at this ?
As an electronic applied scientist , I want to apply cognition of how neurons process sounds to contrive technologies as good as humans at tasks like spoken language recognition and automatic music transcription .
In all this workplace I am motivated by physicist Richard Feynmann ’s famous blackboard motto : “ What I can not produce , I do not understand . ”
The idea is that designing and create technology that mimics what we already love about neurons will teach us even more about how they mould together in the wit .
Although steps in these directions can be made using received computers , there is an alternate and progressively fruitful coming .
Flickr / Stephane Magnenat , CC BY - NC - SA .
This is to project electronic circuits that more closely mimic networks of wit prison cell . For example , vision sensors that mime neuronal responses of the retina can enable robots to move rapidly to intercept moving objects .
Unlike the digital and sequential processing of computer , the brain ’s nerve cell are parallel , parallel and imprecise . Embracing these features in electronics conception is known asneuromorphic engineering .
In Australia , for example , theBioelectronics and Neuroscience groupat University of Western Sydney body of work in this area .
Theyhave shownthat circumference that mime the irregular variability of neuron can be build up and made to work using less ability than established pattern .
The Future is Bionic
The grandness of “ reversal - engineering ” the encephalon in this manner was touched upon inThe Conversationin February .
This was in reception to anAustralian Academy of Sciencethink - tankreporton Australian neuroscience inquiry . The story discussed a program to “ create a bionic brainiac . ”
Image : Mariusz Szczygiel .
“ Bionic ” literally signify the intersection of biota and electronics . To “ create a bionic brain ” in electronic circuits will certainly ask electronic engineers .
Cochlear implant , for example , successfully flux electronics with genius science , and are live as “ bionic ears . ”
inquiry on electronic “ medical bionics ” for head disorders ranging from vision departure , to epilepsy treatment , to Parkinson ’s disease to Alzheimer ’s disease is also afoot .
But as well as such applications , I believe that by mimicking the mentality ’s circuits , engineers also can set ahead fundamental understanding of neural computation in the brain .
In turn , this enhanced sympathy will ultimately run to engineered systems that repeat and travel by the capableness of human intelligence .
This articleoriginally appearedat The Conversation and is republished here with permission .
Image : pogonici / Shutterstock .
Cognitive scienceNeuroscience
Daily Newsletter
Get the skilful technical school , science , and civilisation intelligence in your inbox daily .
News from the future tense , delivered to your present .
You May Also Like
