Trying To Build A Computer As Powerful As The Human Brain

The human brain is often compared to a computer, but its network is much more complex than any physical computer currently in existence. Even the best software run on the fastest supercomputers can only simulate one percent of the human brain. That’s why scientists are trying to build an even better computer, one that overcomes the limitations of current hardware, and acts more like the human brain. One European company, SpiNNaker, is now the closest we’ve ever come to doing just that.

[Let’s cool down this summer with some cold, hard ice science.]

Amy Nordrum, News Editor for IEEE Spectrum, explains how we reached this milestone in brain-inspired computing. Plus, how elephant nose fish ignore self-generated electrical pulses to focus on the electrical signals created by their prey. And why doctors working in small practices experience less burnout.