Click through the thumbnails for higher-resolution (but still only ~1 MP) bitmaps of the images.
IBM will create a model of the circuitry in the human neocortex, which is believed to be the center for higher cognitive functions. It is also the portion of the brain that evolved most recently and that is unique to mammals.
Over the next two years scientists from both organizations will work together using the huge computational capacity of IBMs eServer Blue Gene supercomputer to create a detailed model of the circuitry in the neocortex the largest and most complex part of the human brain. By expanding the project to model other areas of the brain, scientists hope to eventually build an accurate, computer-based model of the entire brain.
"What really matters is not the power itself, but how it is applied to accelerate innovation and discovery in science, engineering and business."
Researchers can learn more about the morphology of the neocortex by inserting blue dye into each neuron. This image shows a fraction of the cells and connections within the neocortex's microcircuitry. (Partial summary from CNET)
