How Much Power Does It Take To Simulate The Human Brain?

[RoyGBiv]

Kwabena Boahen, a computer scientist at Stanford University, believes that it would require 10 megawatts to power a processor as smart as the human brain. His new "Neurogrid" supercomputer might be able to do it on only 20 watts.

To put that in perspective, 10 megawatts is the kind of energy a small hydroelectric plant produces—20 watts is only enough juice to power up a weak light bulb. Amazingly, your physical brain runs on this minuscule amount of power, and it's not very efficient. However, embracing this inefficiency could be the key to creating computers that mimic the human brain.

...

But how will this development change our perception of what an artificially intelligent robot might become? Instead of some cold, logical machine that can think for itself, we might end up with robots that are just as stupid and flawed as we are. In other words. it could be a robot on that episode of future Cops running through the bushes with no shirt on after trying to rob a convenience store with a plastic lightsaber. Think about it.

http://gizmodo.com/5400530/how-much-power-does-it-take-to-simulate-the-human-brain

Original story at Discover: http://discovermagazine.com/2009/oct/06-brain-like-chip-may-solve-computers-big-problem-energy/

[Bitwit1234]

1. It would take the whole universe

to get a republican brain to think straight.

[byronius]

2. Cool post.

[eppur_se_muova]

3. Here's the power source for Glenn Beck's brain --

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=11563934