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Crystal Mimics Brain Cells To Handle Big Data
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August 5, 2016 News

 

Could a crystal be our best shot at mimicking the power and complexity of the human brain?

Scientists at IBM seem to think so, and say their artificial neuron can crunch giant piles of data by switching between crystal and glass-like states as information comes in. IBM researcher Tomas Tuma says it can deal with “big and complex” data using “a small power and energy budget”.

It’s tiny – it measures just a micrometre in diameter which is a fraction of the size of a fog droplet.

 It is made from chalcogenide-based crystal which is sandwiched between electrodes. It receives information as pulses of energy, which changes the temperature of the crystal. This causes the crystal to emit an electrical signal of its own – acting in much the same way as a neuron in the human brain.

 

A tightly-packed bunch of these crystals can work together to deal with large amounts of chaotic data. The system was tested by firing a broadband signal at a pack of 500 artificial neurons. Individual chips could not handle the signal, but with hundreds working together the chips produced a pattern representing the incoming information.Storms of electronic pulses could be fired at the neurons in future – allowing them to process complex data such as stock exchange movements and weather sensor data.
This article was originally published on www.heart.co.uk and can be viewed in full

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