New computer chip models how
neurons communicate with each other at synapses.
(November 15, 2011) For decades, scientists have dreamed of
building computer systems that could replicate the human brain’s talent for
learning new tasks.
MIT researchers have now taken a
major step toward that goal by designing a computer chip that mimics how the
brain’s neurons adapt in response to new information. This phenomenon, known as
plasticity, is believed to underlie many brain functions, including learning
and memory.
With about 400 transistors, the
silicon chip can simulate the activity of a single brain synapse — a connection
between two neurons that allows information to flow from one to the other. The
researchers anticipate this chip will help neuroscientists learn much more
about how the brain works, and could also be used in neural prosthetic devices
such as artificial retinas, says Chi-Sang Poon, a principal research scientist
in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology.