IBM'S EFFORT TO BUILD A BRAIN - (Print) 


International Business Machines (aka IBM) has set out to tackle an impossible task – creating a super computer that can act like the human brain. The company has {{fanfare}} succeeded in producing a multitude of artificial neurons and synapses, and the researchers claim to have conquered more processes than are found in a cat's brain. The 4.5 percent of the human brain they have simulated does do amazing things for a computer, but of coruse there is no way that it can truly compare to the astoundingly efficient, powerful and ever-changing folds of gray matter inside each of our heads. 

The human cerebral cortex consists of about 20 billion neurons in an über complex network connected by about 200 trillion synapses. IBM has succeeded in simulating a fraction of that processing power in a supercomputer that has 147,456 parallel processors, each with about 1GB of working memory. It's 1.6 billion computer neurons and 8.87 trillion synapses work together to simulate the thalamocortical loops found between the thalamus and cerebral cortex in the human brain. The simulations exceed the scale of processes found in the cortex of the house cat brain, and about 4.5 percent of those in the human brain. IBM hopes to add the 732,544 more processes to make up the power of one entire human brain by 2019. 

The computer has a great deal of processing power, but what exactly can these simulations accomplish? 

Specifically, the computational neuroscientists at IBM are working in reproducing the thalamocortical loops that are proportionally so much larger in humans than in other mammals and might be a key to why humans (generally speaking) have higher reasoning abilities than, say, dogs. 

The thalamus acts like a sensory relay station sending signals about spatial sense and motor signals to the cerebral cortex. It also regulates consciousness, sleep, and alertness. The cerebral cortex is the "gray matter" of our brains. It is vital for our ability to perceive the world - sight, sound, taste, smell, touch - for memory, for consciousness and thought, and for language. Descartes was able to say, "I think, therefore I am," because he had a cerebral cortex. 

The IBM researchers have therefore attempted to reproduce sight, memory, and computational ability through their supercomputer, given the rather cold name "C2."  C2 has no eyes, but it does have a "brain-cam", the data from which gets converted into an MPEG movie that can be replayed. It has artificial neurons that fire across synapses and C2's makers claim it has simulated the brains of a mouse, a rat, and a cat. 

The IBM researchers report that the simulations "incorporate phenomenological spiking neurons, individual learning synapses, axonal delays, and dynamic synaptic channels, exceed the scale of the cat cortex, marking the dawn of a new era in the scale of cortical simulations." 

Biological v. Computer Brains: 
As far as computer science goes, this stuff is fantastic. The processing power and memory required to simulate even a mouse brain goes far beyond what can be accomplished with the common laptop. Consider the computational power in 147,456 CPUs and 144 terabytes (144,000 gigabytes) of memory. That's what these guys are working with. 

Biologists flippantly say that the brain is the result of adaptive evolution over millions of years. It works because the creatures whose brains didn't work died. Yet, brilliant scientists modeling their supercomputer on existing biology have struggled to produce anything close to the full power of a living brain. The researchers are pleased to have surpassed the computational power of a cat. Yet, the computer still has no hope of pouncing on rodents in the grass, of computing the exact distance to leap and sending signals to a system of muscles within a fraction of a second. The computer cannot use the vast acres of data taken in by one sweep of a cat's head or prick of its ears or whiff of the air in the exceptionally efficient and effective way that a cat does to know that a vole is hiding in the grass two feet away. The computer doesn't enjoy eating that vole. It has no emotion. It cannot care, and it cannot add more neurons to itself to simulate caring. In fact, it is questionable whether the IBM researchers, with all their biological brain power can figure out how to simulate "caring" in a computer at all. Ever.
 
These great minds have worked day and night to attempt to recreate merely the processes of the cat and mouse and rat brains with little true reflection of those brains' abilities, and they have given themselves eight more years to get close to simulating a full human brain. Even then, we suspect it will fall dismally short of the reality. 

It is easy to say that the brains of "higher" organisms evolved over millions of years. However, biologists are hard pressed to demonstrate that any such thing is even possible. Neuroscientists don't fully understand how the brain works, let alone how it came to be.  Unfeeling, unthinking, computers may be able to solve complex mathematical problems or pull up items from their memories faster than we can, but they use far more power to do so, and they miss the nuances.  As Mark Fischetti writes in Scientific American, "The incredibly efficient brain consumes less juice than a dim lightbulb and fits nicely inside our head. Biology does a lot with a little: the human genome, which grows our body and directs us through years of complex life, requires less data than a laptop operating system. Even a cat's brain smokes the newest iPad - 1,000 times more data storage and a million times quicker to act on it."

VATICAN CALLS FOR GLOBAL ECONOMIC BODY - (Print) 


To solve the world's money woes, give power over the world's financial markets to one group of men.

Wait. 

Ethical men! They have to be ethical. And all the countries get to give input.

This is ultimately what the Vatican said on Monday when it called for the creation of a global economic authority as a way to combat the shortsighted greed that has led to the world's current economic grief. The document was timed to be disseminated prior to the next G20 meeting on the global economy, scheduled for Cannes, France on November 3-4.

Addressing Woes:
"The economic and financial crisis which the world is going through calls everyone, individuals and peoples, to examine in depth the principles and the cultural and moral values at the basis of social coexistence," the Vatican has said in an 18-page document from the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

The document echoes some of the major gripes of the people "occupying" Wall Street and other financial districts in cities around the county - that selfishness and corporate greed have spread economic injustice. While affirming the free market when it comes to material goods, the Vatican points out the massively poor handling of the monetary markets in recent decades, especially when it has come to extending credit on money that doesn't really exist. The ensuing bankruptcies and failures of major firms have wreaked havoc on the entire economic system. 

The document also declares that the gap between rich and poor, both on the individual and national scale, has widened. The negative social impacts of the world's "idolatry of the market" will lead to discord, instability and even violence if left unchecked, the Vatican said.

[Hasn't the Vatican forced payments, extorted money, controlled kingdoms, sold passes out of purgatory, assassinated kings, queens and leaders, declared that the pope owns the world cause he's Jesus replacement until he returns, ran the black army on funds extorted from poor good intentioned catholics, build huge cathedrals that don't bring anyone any closer to God by sitting in? Now they want a global financial system controlled by a few men, who will probably be controlled by the Vatican. ]

In many ways, these observations are self evident. But what exactly to do about the problems facing us all? Not so much. 

The Hardly Modest Proposal:
The Vatican first makes the argument that the human race needs to seek unity, saying "the world's peoples ought to adopt an ethic of solidarity as the animating core of their action. This implies abandoning all forms of petty selfishness and embracing the logic of the global common good which transcends merely contingent, particular interests." 


[A NEW WORLD ORDER, ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT, OR REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE... Sounds like Anti-Christ talk. "for when they say peace and safety, sudden destruction will come upon them" The Bible]

We all need to recognize that we belong to the same human family, the Vatican says. 

Next, the Vatican argues for greater legal controls on the market, but not just at the national level. The document asserts that global unity is a good thing, and quotes John XXIII's view in the Encyclical Pacem in Terris of 1963 that there is too little political cooperation on the world level toward the "objective needs of the universal common good." Even back then, John XXIII hoped that "a true world political authority" would be formed. 

This global theme has been long in process. 

A Global Authority:
The document released Monday agrees with John XXIII, making the case that the world needs a single monetary authority that can oversee and regulate the financial markets. "In view of the unification of the world engendered by the complex phenomenon of globalization, and of the importance of guaranteeing, in addition to other collective goods, the good of a free, stable world economic and financial system at the service of the real economy, today the teaching of Pacem in Terris appears to be even more vital and worthy of urgent implementation," the Vatican document declares.

The document also reminds the world that the G20 leaders adopted a similar sentiment in Pittsburgh in 2009 when they stated, "The economic crisis demonstrates the importance of ushering in a new era of sustainable global economic activity grounded in responsibility."


[Doesn't the G20 secretly call for a population reduction of the world by 80%.. Which means somehow a few billion people will have to be exterminated.]

While this global financial power should start with the United Nations, the document says, it should go on to become independent, set up slowly and gradually with input from each of the world's countries. It would operate under the job description of promoting the common good, with a focus on protecting the underdeveloped countries from exploitation by the wealthy countries. 
[who will protect them from the Vatican?]
Some specifics of the Vatican's plan would be a global tax on financial transactions that go to help hurting countries. [Why doesn't the richest organization on the planet help those hurting countries instead of taxing you and I.] Banks would be provided with public funds contingent on "virtuous" behaviors that would build the "real economy", and there would be an effort to manage "shadow markets" which have no controls and limits. [Which means no independent sovereignty for your country, you will be controlled by a select group of leaders that you will have no vote or control over their decisions. A global dictatorship, and if the Spanish inquisition is an example of the real Catholic agenda as seem by historic example, what makes us think anything different will be in store. There has been no dictatorship in the history of man that has not come with mass human suffering. This is the real plan behind the "sound so nice" agenda. ] 

Unicorns and Gumdrops:
While social justice and global equity are beautiful goals - biblical goals, even - there is a great lack of realism in the Vatican's proposal. Very few people will be happy about having a bit of global tax taken out every time they cash a check, or buy a shirt, or make other kinds of financial transactions – all so that Greece or Zimbabwe can get bailed out after gross mismanagement. 

Even more to the point, the plan provides for all countries to have a voice in the formation of this global economic authority, yet the countries of the world rarely come to an agreement about anything. There is always dissention. Two free human beings in a room can rarely agree about the best way to handle a problem. This even applies when the two people have sworn to themselves to love and faithfulness and unity, as the high divorce rates in the civilized world give evidence. Expecting the world to peacefully form a global financial authority on which everybody can agree is more starry eyed than expecting the Palestinian Authority to just hand over the West Bank to Israel.

In other words, it would take an act of God. 

As much as universities teach ethics, and as seriously as the Vatican would promote unity and peace between all peoples, the reality is that human beings are selfish and sinful and terrified of being given the short end of the stick. 

Iron Power:
Therefore, if there ever is a global authority in this present age with any power at all, it will not be run through peaceful, wise means in which all the countries of the world are represented and protected. There will be no angels at the helm of this global financial authority, meting out equity according to the dictates of harmonious common good like a group of vegetarian, estrogen-balanced women in flowing robes. If it has any real power, it will have to be handled with a fist of iron. 

Even when the Messiah comes, in all his perfection and wisdom, his protective and providential care for the poor (Isa 11:1-4), his self-sacrificing love for the world (John 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Heb 12:2) and the fact that he is the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6-7), he still reigns with an iron rod (Rev 19:13-15). Because, as a whole, human beings are rotten. 

It is foolish to expect any global authority set up by humankind to be run with selfless interest in the common good. If it were given any real authority, such a global body would eventually have to dominate, regardless of dissention. "For the common good."