From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wupost!uunet!idtg!dow Wed Dec 18 16:02:48 EST 1991
Article 2247 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: dow@idtg.UUCP (Keith Dow)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Scaled up slug brains
Message-ID: <357@idtg.UUCP>
Date: 18 Dec 91 18:37:29 GMT
References: <352@idtg.UUCP> <40782@dime.cs.umass.edu> <1991Dec18.135620.16540@news.larc.nasa.gov>
Organization: Integrated Device Technology, Santa Clara
Lines: 33

>>Parts of the brain are understood now.  My estimate is that the brain
>>will be completely understood by the year 2050. 
>
>   By 2050 will will probably have discovered so much that we will realize
>just how little we know.  We don't even know enough about the low-level
>physics to be able to think about simulating synapses with any reasonable
>fidelity, even if we knew the mechanisms those synapses used.  By 2050 we
>should at least have some grip on what kind of problem we are dealing with,
>though.
>
>   I don't think anything will ever be _completely_ understood, and if it
>could be the world would be a much more dull place.




I think the basic physics is known, sodium and potasium ion exchange.
Also some of the basic chemistry is know.  I am not qualified to address
how much more needs to be known though.

Also you don't need to know the chemistry or physics of the human brain to 
simulate it.   There are lots of people in computer science classes who 
understand how a computer works, but think a transistor is a nun that has
had a sex change operation.











