2023-10-04 06:14:56
Human Brain Project: The vision of the simulated brain – spectrum of science
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Human Brain Project: The vision of the simulated brain
The ten-year “Human Brain Project” ended in 2023. It wanted to completely simulate the human brain. What has been achieved and what does the research community think regarding the controversial project?
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At a glance
A polarizing undertaking
The Human Brain Project is a flagship project of the EU. The promises were big: they wanted to decode and simulate the human brain down to the last detail.
But criticism quickly arose. The goals are unrealistic, unclear and the project is simply a waste of money. Those involved then made improvements in a few points.
Now, following ten years, the major project is finished. The conclusion is ambivalent. One of the benefits is the combination of interdisciplinary research data.
At the beginning there was the vision: a fully comprehensive, realistic computer model of the human brain. But it’s such a thing with visions. They sound incredibly attractive at first. However, following a thorough reality check, they can quickly turn out to be naive dreams, even fantasies. This is what happened with the Human Brain Project (HBP), an EU project in which 122 research institutions from 17 countries took part and which ended in September 2023.
The aim was to completely decode the brain, cure neurodegenerative diseases and thus advance society as a whole. These lofty promises quickly fell on their feet. There was quick talk of “unrealistic expectations” and “a loss of scientific credibility.” After the end of the project, the conclusion of those responsible was still positive. So was the HBP able to recover following the initial difficulties? What goals have you achieved?
This article is included in Brain&Mind The Bowl Factor
Review. Henry Markram, professor of neuroscience at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, presented his project to the public for the first time in a TED talk in 2009: He wanted to simulate the almost 100 billion neurons and 100 trillion synapses of the human brain in a realistic computer model. He even suggested that it might be capable of intelligence and even consciousness. In just ten years we will send you a hologram that will talk to you, he predicted euphorically. This would make it possible to understand neurodegenerative diseases and mental disorders such as schizophrenia and develop treatments for them. Many animal experiments might be avoided in the future. And he described the plan as an “essential step in evolution.”
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