2014 Quote by Michio Kaku
““These computer simulations try only to duplicate the interactions between the cortex and the thalamus. Huge chunks of the brain are therefore missing. Dr. [Dharmendra] Modha understands the enormity of his project. His ambitious research has allowed him to estimate what it would take to create a working model of the entire human brain, and not just a portion or a pale version of it, complete with all parts of the neocortex and connections to the senses. He envisions using not just a single Blue Gene computer [with over a hundred thousand processors and terabytes of RAM] but thousands of them, which would fill up not just a room but an entire city block. The energy consumption would be so great that you would need a thousand-megawatt nuclear power plant to generate all the electricity. And then, to cool off this monstrous computer so it wouldn't melt, you would need to divert a river and send it through the computer circuits. It is remarkable that a gigantic, city-size computer is required to simulate a piece of human tissue that weighs three pounds, fits inside your skull, raises your body temperature by only a few degrees, uses twenty watts of power, and needs only a few hamburgers to keep it going.””
About This Quote
Simulating the human brain requires massive computational power far beyond current technology, highlighting the complexity of consciousness.
In simple terms: Brain simulation needs huge resources.
Advancing tech is essential for brain modeling.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- research labs
- AI development
- energy planning
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What breakthroughs could reduce energy needs?
- How might ethics guide massive computing projects?
Current limits make full brain simulation impractical.