For a purpose which we find it difficult to discern, and using a supercomputer which frankly looks like it's quite a bit larger than it probably needs to be, researchers at IBM have simulated the pathways of a domestic cat's brain:
IBM and Stanford University researchers modeled a cat's cerebral cortex using the Blue Gene/IP supercomputer, which currently ranks as the fourth most powerful supercomputer in the world. They had simulated a full rat brain in 2007, and 1 percent of the human cerebral cortex this year.
This is all well and good, and we applaud IBM for their pursuit of knowledge, however seemingly aimless. Perhaps we will be more impressed when we see some real-life applications of this research, ie: explaining the neural processes that cause our cat to knock a full 24 oz. cup of icewater onto our DVR box, rendering same into an obviously pretty useless mess emitting a sad little whir, all the while making calculating eye contact with us as we watch across the room, powerless to intercede. Science, man.
via popsci
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