Scientists: 10 Years Until Model Brain Teaches About Real One

The first artificial brain could be a mere 10 years away, say scientists at Switzerland's Blue Brain Project.

Using an IBM Blue Gene machine with more 10,000 processors, the team at the Lausanne Polytechnical School have been able to digitally construct the neocortical column of the brain, thought to be responsible for sensory perception, conscious thought, language and reasoning.

Reverse-engineering the mammalian brain using data from lab findings, researchers will be better equipped to find solutions for brain injuries and illnesses that affect approximately two billion people worldwide, said Director Henry Markham.