Neon Swirl (IMAGE)

U.S. National Science Foundation

Neon Swirl

Caption

Inspired by the neural architecture of a macaque brain, this ghostly neon swirl is the wiring diagram for a new kind of computer that, by some definitions, may soon be able to think. In recent years, IBM's cognitive computing group in San Jose, California, has made great strides toward designing a computer that can detect patterns, plan responses, and learn from its mistakes, said Emmett McQuinn, a hardware engineer at IBM who designed the image. To create the image, which was a First Place Winner in the 2012 International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge, McQuinn first clustered and colored the nodes based on the 77 different functional regions that neuroscientists have identified in the macaque brain. Then, he found a circular arrangement that pleased him.

Credit

Emmett McQuinn, IBM Research - Almaden

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