Simulating the brain with a supercomputer

The first incarnation of Blue Brain — a digital representation of the human mind — could simulate 10,000 neurons firing and interacting just as they would in an actual brain. But with 100 billion neurons and 100 trillion total connections in a real human brain, it’ll require a supercomputer to get anywhere close to a true representation. Dr. Henry Markram, creator of the Blue Brain, believes that it will be possible to simulate the entire brain within his lifetime, and the European Union is giving him the grant money to make it happen. However, The New York Times reports that what scientists would do with a true virtual brain, and whether it’s actually possible to make one, is up for debate.