Reframing the possibilities in healthcare using blue brain technology

Introduction

The human brain is a marvelous creation of God. It is the brain that makes a human intelligence and the sixth sense of man makes him stand different from the animals that also possess a brain. The brain is not a single part of the human body. It is a complex organ, connecting each and every organ and organ system present in the body. It plays a vital role in the functioning of every organ as it has the overall control of all the parts. It enables a person to think and make decisions. Even the innovative thoughts that have led to countless inventions have their origins in the brain. But the sad reality is that the knowledge in the brain is lost along with the body after death. The blue brain has been under development for resolving this particular issue.

Blue brain

Blue brain is the name given to the first virtual brain (1) in the world, which is being developed by IBM. It is actually the artificial brain created by man that could function like the original human brain. It has been predicted that, within the next 30 years, we human beings will be able to scan ourselves into the computer. As mentioned earlier, it is an artificial brain, which can behave actually like a natural brain. It can perform thinking and decision-making based on experience and can respond too. To make this possible, all we need is a supercomputer, a memory with a large amount of storage capacity, a processor having high processing power, a wide network, a program to convert electric impulses into input signals, and an interface between the natural brain and artificial brain for uploading data from the natural brain to the computer. By doing this, the intelligence of that particular brain can be stored for further use in the future, even after the death of that person.

The development we have been attaining in each phase of Science and Technology is because of the intelligence possessed by individuals. Being an inborn quality, intelligence cannot be created. Not everyone is blessed with this quality, but the ones who have it are extraordinary thinkers. It usually begins and ends with the person who has it. The blue brain can provide a solution for preserving this intelligence (2) even after death. It can also be used for assistance during one’s lifetime for remembering the important days or facts that have higher chances of being forgotten.

Steps involved in building a blue brain

There are three major steps (3) involved in building a blue brain. They are given as follows:

1. Data Collection

2. Data Simulation

3. Visualization

1. Data Collection:

In this phase, the different portions of the brain are collected, made to undergo examination through a microscope, and the shape and electrical behavior of individual neurons are measured. On the basis of the gauged shape, electrical and physiological behavior, site within the cerebral cortex, and population density, the neurons are captured. The observations thus made can be translated into algorithms that are capable of describing the process, function, and positioning methods of neurons. Based on these algorithms, biologically-real looking virtual neurons that are ready for simulation can be generated.

2. Data Simulation:

Data simulation concerns with two major features:

i. Simulation Speed

ii. Simulation Workflow

i. Simulation Speed:

The simulation speed is very less when compared with the natural brain. The simulation of one cortical column (4), i.e., more than 10,000 neurons, run about 200 times slower than the real time. One second of stimulated time takes about 5 min to complete. The simulation displays are probably uneven. Currently, the major seek is for biological soundness. After the complete understanding of the biologically significant factors for a specific effect, it might be possible to crop the constituents that do not subsidize in order to advance performance.

ii. Simulation Overflow:

This step involves virtual cell production based on the algorithms generated to describe the real neurons. Based on age, species, and disease stage of the animal to be simulated, the algorithms are chosen.

a. From all kinds of synthesized neurons, a network skeleton is built.

b. Based on the rules framed through experiments, the cells are joined together.

c. The neurons are functionalized and simulation is brought to the life.

3. Visualization:

For the visualization of neural simulations, the blue brain project makes use of RT Neuron (an application) (5). The RT Neuron is coded using C++ and OpenGL and is specifically used for neural simulations. It takes input as neuron and displays the output in 3D form. This has been very interactive.

Functioning of human brain

Almost every sense of a human being is controlled by the nervous system. None can see the actual functioning of it, but it does its responsibility very smoothly through the electric pulses. It is the most complicatedly organized electron mechanism in the world. To understand this complex system, one should have the knowledge about the three basic functions (6) performed by this system:

1. Sensory Input

2. Integration

3. Motor Output

1. Sensory Input:

Whenever we sense something, i.e., if we see, hear, or taste something, the sensory cells, i.e., neurons, belonging to our eyes, skin, and tongue are responsible to send those messages to the brain. This process of receiving information from the surroundings is known as sensory input.

2. Integration:

This function involves the interpretation of things that we have felt, and this process happens within the brain. For example, if you have touched a hot pan, the sensory input will be given to the brain. The brain identifies that it is a hot pan and responds.

3. Motor Output:

This includes the responses given by the brain to those sensory nerves. In the case of touching the hot pan, the brain sends a message impulse to the hands commanding to take it from the pan in order to avoid injuries.

Brain simulation

In a natural brain, the input is received through the natural neurons, interpreted through the various neurons present in the brain, and delivered as output through the same natural neurons. Here, the processing is done by arithmetic and logical calculations, and the result obtained is stored in the permanent states of neurons.

In a simulated brain, the reception of input is through silicon chips or artificial neurons. The interpretation is done by a set of bits in the set of registers, and the output obtained is transported through the silicon chips. The results of processing done using arithmetic and logical calculation and artificial intelligence are stored in the secondary memory.

Upgrading human brain to blue brain

The data present in the human brain can be uploaded to the computer with the help of small robots, commonly known as Nanobots (7). These bots are nano-sized, and hence, they can travel throughout the human circulatory system. The activities and structure of our nervous system can be monitored by these bots by their frequent travel toward the brain and the spine. These can also act as an interface between the human brain and the computer. The bots are capable of scanning our brain and its structure, thus recording the complete connection. When one enters these recorded details into a computer, it starts functioning as human. In this way, the entire data stored in the human brain can be uploaded to a computer (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Upgrading human brain to blue brain.

IBM, along with the scientists of Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne’s Brain and Mind Institute, Switzerland, is undertaking research to simulate the biological systems of the brain and to deliver the output in the form of a working three-dimensional model (8) that could recreate the high-speed electrochemical interactions taking place within the interior parts of the brain. These interactions include brain malfunctions such as psychiatric disorders like depression and autism and cognitive functions such as language, learning, perception, and memory. From there, the modeling will expand to other regions of the brain and, if successful, shed light on the relationships between genetic, molecular, and cognitive functions of the brain.

Innovative approach

Blue brain is a replacement for the real human brain, and it can be used to overcome certain disorders happening in the brain. The very first case which we take into consideration is the death rate due to brain tumors. In most cases, the tumor is identified only in the worst stage. Even among those, the lives of a good percent get expired because of the delay in the identification. Such mortal rates can be decreased by using this blue brain technique. As the nanobots will be continuously monitoring the brain and spine, any minor change in its behavior will be recorded. Based on the recordings, one can identify the issues with the brain and its functions. If the change is the initial stage of a tumor, diagnosis can be done and proper treatment can be provided. This will lead to an increase in the chances of the survival of the affected person.

The next case we consider is brain death. As we know, the brain is the functional unit and control unit of human body; brain death is indeed the person’s death. The blue brain can be a solution for this too. The brain that is dead can be replaced by the virtual brain, thus helping the life of the person be sustained.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like in other fields of science, there are both pros and cons in the case of blue brain too. The blue brain technology facilitates a person to remember everything without any effort. The activities of human beings and other animals can be understood and can be used for advanced research purposes. This can also help in decision-making without the presence of a person. It reduces the illness related to the brain to a greater extent. The deaf can be made to hear using a direct connection toward the nerves (9). Most importantly, it can be used to save the intelligence of individuals even after their deaths.

In contrast, it can make humans lazier and dependent on machines (10). Anti-socialists can use technology against it and can involve in human cloning with wrong intentions. In future, if locums for human beings are developed, then there will be no human interaction and the world will run on computers only.

Discussion

Being a technology under research, it is a difficult task to predict the exact implementation techniques and methodology for it. The blue brain to be used for the replacement of dead brains should be enhanced. The blue brain in a computer will be vain in this case. In short, the blue brain can be a chip or a bot functioning from the interior of the human body in the near future. This can enable the quick replacement of the damaged or dead brain. As the intelligence of the person is already recorded within the blue brain, he/she can live a comfortable life even after brain death. This can also reduce the death rates occurring because of brain deaths, which can also be considerably brought down to a much lower level.

Conclusion

The advancements in Science and Technology have been considered a bane by the public sometimes. Technologies like blue brain have been serving as an evidence for the boon part of advancements, thus leading the world toward sustainable development (11). The day we will transform into computers is not so far. At some point, this transformation happens and may lead to the immortal life of humans, thus proving that it can bring both benefits and harm to human society. Whatever the case may be, this technology will be highly accepted all over the world sooner as a part of promoting sustainable development.

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