• Why Your Brain is Really Cool
    164 replies, posted
[i]Your brain's computing power is estimated to have exceeded every computer which existed on the planet in 2007 - and almost surely will continue to do so for a long time. By the way, it does tasks which take the most powerful supercomputers in the world a few thousand years in a nanosecond or so (pathfinding and interpreting messages from the eyes)[/i] [url]http://books.google.com/books?id=wVll6u0tzXoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Computational+Brain&hl=en&ei=S_05TZCgFIOglAfMroyqBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false[/url] [i]Assuming your brain uses binary logic (it doesn't, we just don't know what it uses) it could hold on the league of 750-1000 terabytes of information, with a form of compression to compress several thousand gigabyte "files" down to a couple megabytes (it's why language isn't the only thing we can learn). Assuming it doesn't use binary logic and instead uses something more efficient, or in case storage occurs at a molecular level (unlikely, but given the quantum computing article below this one, possible) nobody fucking knows how much information it can hold; in fact, it's probably infinite[/i] [url]http://www.moah.org/exhibits/archives/brains/technology.html[/url] [i]Your brain is a quantum computer - probably.[/i] [url]http://rsta.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/356/1743/1869.abstract[/url] So, if the brain is so incredibly cool and powerful, why can't it outpace computers at certain tasks like math? Well, as I found out, that's because computers operate on very, very specific sets of instructions; in fact, most of the computing power of the brain is spent on de-ambiguating instructions and only a small percentage on performing them (this is what Einstein meant when he said we only use a little bit of our brain... we use it all, just not for "conventional" computation). Computer buffs will know that a processor which handles many different instructions is far less efficient than a processor which handles one instruction - which is sort of why GPUs are necessary! (given it's more of a transistor-count battle here, but the same principle as to why more transistors are fittable onto GPUs) That's about it, I guess. I think the brain is a pretty neat thing. By the way, your brain has about 200,000,000,000 neurons (compare this to transistor count on a CPU and laugh) connected to each other with about 20,000,000,000,000,000 synapses.
fuck off [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Snipe" - Craptasket))[/highlight]
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Huh? Why? [editline]21st January 2011[/editline] Are you guys like Amish anti-scientifics or something
Yeah I don't get why he's being assulted, this is some pretty interesting stuff. I knew some of it already though, but it's still cool to be reminded of it.
The human brain is very cool indeed.
That is fucking awesome. I knew our brains are complex but not that complex.
[QUOTE=soad_jonas;27570967]The human brain is very cool indeed.[/QUOTE] agreed
[QUOTE=soad_jonas;27570967]The human brain is very cool indeed.[/QUOTE] As cool as an Ice Cube.
[QUOTE=LoLWaT?;27571001]With the quantum computers that are being developed now, I wonder if we'll eventually be able to surpass the human brain... Scary to think about.[/QUOTE] If Moore's law holds, certainly.
I wonder what it'd be like to have a super-human intelligent brain, maybe even one enhanced BY a computer. [QUOTE=leadpill42;27570958]Yeah I don't get why he's being assulted, this is some pretty interesting stuff. I knew some of it already though, but it's still cool to be reminded of it.[/QUOTE] Because they are anti-intelligence. :irony:
[QUOTE=cr2142;27571005]As cool as an Ice Cube.[/QUOTE] If it was that cool we'd be all dead
[QUOTE=Xolo;27570829]Your brain's computing power is estimated to have exceeded every computer which existed on the planet in 2007 - and almost will continue to do so for a long time.[/QUOTE] About 2040-2050 I think some scientists said. [QUOTE=Xolo;27570829]By the way, it does tasks which take the most powerful supercomputers in the world a few thousand years in a nanosecond or so (pathfinding and interpreting messages from the eyes)[/QUOTE] Pathfinding and interpreting images doesn't take any modern computer thousands of years. [QUOTE=Xolo;27570829]Assuming your brain uses binary logic (it doesn't, we just don't know what it uses)[/QUOTE] We know very well what it uses: It's a complex neural network. We don't know why it works in the larger sense, but how single neurons work is very well understood. [QUOTE=Xolo;27570829], with a form of compression to compress several thousand gigabyte "files" down to a couple megabytes (it's why language isn't the only thing we can learn).[/QUOTE] Because it's lossy. How hard is it to learn a 1MB binary file by heart and output it bit for bit? Pretty much impossible. Also a brain doesn't even use bytes and bits to store information. [QUOTE=Xolo;27570829] Assuming it doesn't use binary logic and instead uses something more efficient, or in case storage occurs at a molecular level (unlikely, but given the quantum computing article below this one, possible) nobody fucking knows how much information it can hold; in fact, it's probably infinite[/i][/QUOTE] It can't store infinite information. That's physically impossible. [QUOTE=Xolo;27570829]Your brain is a quantum computer - probably.[/QUOTE] Quantum computers use qubits. A brain doesn't. Therefore it's not a quantum computer. It doesn't use any bits or qubits at all. [QUOTE=Xolo;27570829] [url]http://rsta.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/356/1743/1869.abstract[/url] So, if the brain is so incredibly cool and powerful, why can't it outpace computers at certain tasks like math? Well, as I found out, that's because computers operate on very, very specific sets of instructions; in fact, most of the computing power of the brain is spent on de-ambiguating instructions and only a small percentage on performing them (this is what Einstein meant when he said we only use a little bit of our brain... we use it all, just not for "conventional" computation). Computer buffs will know that a processor which handles many different instructions is far less efficient than a processor which handles one instruction - which is sort of why GPUs are necessary! (given it's more of a transistor-count battle here, but the same principle as to why more transistors are fittable onto GPUs)[/QUOTE] A GPU doesn't need as many transistors for the same calculations because GPU's are "simpler".
Shame the brain cannot rebuild itself.
[QUOTE=Miskatonic;27571108]Shame the brain cannot rebuild itself.[/QUOTE] I thought in certain ways it does? or at least puts other sections to work to fill in for bad/broken areas.
[QUOTE=LoLWaT?;27571148]Couldn't we somehow harness stemcells to do that?[/QUOTE] This. Anything can be rebuilt, it's just that by default it isn't.
[QUOTE=Xolo;27570829]Well, as I found out, that's because computers operate on very, very specific sets of instructions; in fact, most of the computing power of the brain is spent on de-ambiguating instructions and only a small percentage on performing them (this is what Einstein meant when he said we only use a little bit of our brain... we use it all, just not for "conventional" computation). Computer buffs will know that a processor which handles many different instructions is far less efficient than a processor which handles one instruction - which is sort of why GPUs are necessary! (given it's more of a transistor-count battle here, but the same principle as to why more transistors are fittable onto GPUs[/QUOTE] Or, in short, computers were and still are designed specifically to do math and calculations. It's built into the computers, but we have to gradually learn math, which is why the brain isn't designed to do it extremely fast. It can be done though, some people can apparently do really complex math in a few seconds all in their heads.
[QUOTE=LoLWaT?;27571148]Couldn't we somehow harness stemcells to do that?[/QUOTE] Yes, but NO ONE IS FUNDING THE RESEARCH. >:(
[QUOTE=Robber;27571088] Pathfinding and interpreting images doesn't take any modern computer thousands of years. [b]We aren't talking about the same kind of pathfinding. Also, interpreting images and interpreting signals from the eyes are very different things.[/b] We know very well what it uses: It's a complex neural network. We don't know why it works in the larger sense, but how single neurons work is very well understood. Because it's lossy. How hard is it to learn a 1MB binary file by heart and spell it out bit for bit? Pretty much impossible. Also a brain doesn't even use bytes and bits to store information. [b]I know it doesn't use bytes and bits to store information, but that's the most easily related-to form of computational storage and the standard by which we measure storage capacity.[/b] It can't store infinite information. That's physically impossible. [b]Not with quantum computing[/b] Quantum computers use qubits. A brain doesn't. Therefore it's not a quantum computer. It doesn't use any bits or qubits at all. [b]Did you read the article[/b] A GPU doesn't need as many transistors for the same calculations because GPU's are "simpler". [b]Uh-huh. They only calculate geometry and such.[/b] [/QUOTE] I answered them in the quote [editline]21st January 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Craptasket;27571180]I thought in certain ways it does? or at least puts other sections to work to fill in for bad/broken areas.[/QUOTE] When you sleep, axons are repaired and memories are compressed
[QUOTE=johan_sm;27571203]This. Anything can be rebuilt, it's just that by default it isn't.[/QUOTE] We can rebuild him.
[QUOTE=LoLWaT?;27571001]With the quantum computers that are being developed now, I wonder if we'll eventually be able to surpass the human brain... Scary to think about.[/QUOTE] If one could upload one's "psyche" to one of these "2.0 Brains", then you'd probably be able to think beyond regular human limits. Either that or the Brain 2.0 would simply have a personality set uploaded to it that is a copy of yours, kind of a "mind-cloning". Personally i'd just play it safe until someone invents the soul. (or discovers it, either or which would be cool) [QUOTE=Coffee;27571279]We can rebuild him.[/QUOTE] We have the technology. We can make him better than he was before. Better. Stronger. Faster.
[QUOTE=PrusseluskenV2;27571232]How do I upgrade my brain's RAM guys[/QUOTE] Get a power-saw, cut your head open and just stab a few sticks of RAM directly into the centre of your brain.
[img]http://www.morphonix.com/software/education/science/brain/game/specimens/images/wet_brain.gif[/img] How are you so awesome [editline]21st January 2011[/editline] Wow Firerain is viewing this thread get ready for ~wit~
[QUOTE=leadpill42;27570958]Yeah I don't get why he's being [B]assulted[/B], this is some pretty interesting stuff. I knew some of it already though, but it's still cool to be reminded of it.[/QUOTE] Goddammit where is the bad spelling rating?
Neural networking is the future. And so are terrifying trans-human monsters.
The first and second posts were just two kids thinking, "I'm gonna be an asshole in the first post so that everyone else thinks I'm mature :fuckyou:" Those guys should seriously :fuckoff: Those comments were completely uncalled for, this is actually pretty interesting IMO. Thanks for the info OP, learn something new every day. The Brain is the most advanced(that we know of) piece of organic technology in existence. I'm not a religious man, but it's a god damn miracle and I'm kinda privileged and intrigued to be able to use it, hopefully, to my full ability.
My brains dumb. I have all these stupid thoughts then afterwards I realize how stupid they are and hate myself for it.
what if we become the computers . I love my brain. Unleash the potential toho.
Imagine putting memory into code, being able to program people to your will.
[QUOTE=U.S.S.R;27571587]Imagine putting memory into code, being able to program people to your will.[/QUOTE] User name is appropriate?
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