Building Brains

Computer Technology has advanced spectacularly since the first program was executed by the Manchester 'Baby' machine on June 21 1948, but if this progress is to be sustained there are major challenges ahead in the area of transistor predictability and reliability and in the exploitation of massively-parallel computing resources. Biology has solved both of these problems, but we don't understand how those solutions function at the level of information processing. Two questions arise from this line of thinking: - can massively-parallel computers be used to accelerate our understanding of brain function? - can our growing understanding of brain function point the way to more efficient, fault-tolerant computation? While these questions remain so far unanswered, they suggest a line of investigation that has been recognised under the Grand Challenge of 'Building Brains'. The SpiNNaker project aims to address this challenge through the construction of a massively-parallel computer incorporating over a million ARM processors for the real-time modelling of large-scale systems of spiking neurons.

An interesting session on the above theme is planned at Biomedical Circuits and Systems Conference (to be held during 3^rd to 5^th /11/2010).

Key Note Speaker for this will be Mr. Steve Furber, University of Manchester, UK. For additional information visit http://www.biocas2010.org/keynote.html

Asset or Liability

There was a king who was a follower of a Saint. Once his Guruji asked him to show his treasure.
The king felt very happy and personally went and showed Guruji each and every corner of his rich treasure.
It was a huge collection of Diamonds, Rubies and other precious stones.
Guruji asked,” Do you treat these as an asset?”
King replied in affirmative.
Guruji asked, “How much profit you make from these stones?"
King: "Nothing. In fact I have to spend a lot on keeping a tight security around them"
Guruji: "Let me show you a stone even more precious than these."
King found a good way of spending some more time with his Guruji and started walking with him.
After a long walk, they reached near the house of an old widow. She was making flour using a grind-stone.
Guruji smiled and said to the king "This very stone makes flour for hungry people and also helps this old lady make a living. Isn't this more precious than all of your stones?"
"There is a great difference between being expensive and being useful. What you call precious is only what you believe is expensive; those stones have no value otherwise.
This old rugged grind stone is helping people make a living while your stones are wasting lot of unnecessary money just on security."
Difference between wealthier and non wealthier is that the former always invest in assets while later always meet their liability.
This is applicable to all sphere of life.

Sharpen Your Skills

Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter asked for a job with a timber merchant, and he got it. His salary was really good and so were the working conditions.

For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best.

His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to fell the trees. The first day, the woodcutter brought down 15 trees.

" Congratulations," the boss said. " Carry on with your work!"

Highly motivated by the words of his boss, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring 10 trees down. The third day he tried even harder, but he was only able to bring down 7 trees.

Day after day he was bringing lesser number of trees down.

" I must be losing my strength", the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on.

" When was the last time you sharpened your axe?" the boss asked.

" Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees..."

That's right. Most of us NEVER update our skills. We think that whatever we have learned is very much enough.

But good is not good when better is expected. Sharpening our skills from time to time is the key to success.