A typical human brain has about 100 billion (10^11=100.000.000.000) neurons,
but each neuron follows only very simple integrate-and-fire rules. If we distribute a comparatively simple program on 1.000.000 machines (which is only a small fraction of the Internet, Google alone has between 50.000 and 100.000 machines, and [EMAIL PROTECTED] has over five million volunteers), and each is responsible for the simulation of 100.000 neurons, then we come close to the capacity of the human brain. How long will it take until we can build such a system and connect it successfully to the real world (through a robot) or a realistic virtual world (through an agent) ? I guess it won't be long. As Greg Egan describes in his novel "Permutation City", at first the simulation may be much slower than reality, but enough computers are already there. What do you think ? -J. ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
