Unsupervised Thinking

For our third episode, we cover "neuromorphic computing". The attempt to build hardware that functions like neurons is a fairly new field of research. We discuss how building neurons on a chip is possible, how it compares to standard computing and standard neural modeling, and the principles of design that make something "neuromorphic". We also ask whether any of this is worth it, for engineering purposes or for neuroscience.

For our second episode, we break down BCI. We'll go over what signals in the brain are used to interface with computers and how. Included is some constrained optimism about how well these devices can perform and where the limitations come from. Our focus is mostly on motor interfaces (prosthetic arms, for example), though we touch on other applications.

For our first episode, we discuss the Blue Brain project, or as it is now known, the Human Brain Project. The focus of this project is to understand the brain by simulating it in extreme detail. We go into the history of the project, the politics, and the science of it, including what it even means to "simulate the brain in extreme detail."