Here, before us, stands a testament to human curiosity. This is The Human Brain Project. What if we could simulate the human brain on a supercomputer?
The Human Brain Project was an ambitious EU scientific research project. It ran for ten years. The project started in 2013 and finished in September 2023. It aimed to advance knowledge in neuroscience, computing, and brain-related medicine. The Human Brain Project used high-performance exascale supercomputers. These computers built infrastructure for researchers. The successor to the project is EBRAINS.
The European Commission largely funded The Human Brain Project. The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne coordinated it. The project coordination office was in Geneva, Switzerland.
The goal was to investigate the brain. Researchers studied it on different spatial and temporal scales. This ranged from molecules to large networks. They examined everything from milliseconds to years. Scientists from diverse disciplines collaborated. These included neuroscience, philosophy, and computer science. The aim was to use experimental data, modeling theories, and simulations. Empirical results developed theories. These fostered modeling and simulations. Those simulations resulted in predictions. Empirical results then verified the predictions.
The primary objective was to create an ICT-based research infrastructure. It was for brain research, cognitive neuroscience, and brain-inspired computing. Researchers worldwide could use it.
The Human Brain Project was divided into subprojects. Some subprojects developed ICT-based platforms. These consisted of hardware, software, databases, and programming interfaces. Researchers worldwide could access these tools via the HBP Collaboratory. Other subprojects gathered data. This data was on empirical neuroscience. They also established theoretical foundations. One subproject focused on ethics and society.
The subprojects included many areas. One was mouse brain organization. Another was understanding the structure of the human brain. Others looked at systems and cognitive neuroscience. Theoretical neuroscience was explored. The project created a neuroinformatics platform. There was also a brain simulation platform. A high-performance analytics and computing platform was created. The project also developed a medical informatics platform. Neuromorphic computing and neurorobotics platforms were also parts of the project. Management and coordination ensured smooth operations. Ethics and society were also considered.
Researchers from over 117 partner institutions in 19 countries across Europe were involved. Notable partners included the University of Heidelberg.
The project faced obstacles. Unsystematic information from previous brain research was a hurdle. Neurological research data varied. This made it difficult to replicate the brain in a model. Engineering problems also existed. These involved power consumption, memory, and storage. Detailed neuron representations were computationally expensive. Whole brain simulation pushed computational capabilities.
Technologies from The Human Brain Project offer possibilities to other fields. A brain model can investigate signatures of disease. It can also show the impact of certain drugs. This enables better diagnosis and treatment methods. These technologies could lead to more advanced medical options. They may also lower costs for patients.
Detailed brain simulation required significant computing power. This led to developments in supercomputing. It also advanced energy-efficient, brain-inspired computing techniques. Computational developments can extend into data mining. They can also be applied to telecommunications and other industrial uses.
The Human Brain Project followed a policy of Responsible Research and Innovation. Its Ethics Advisory Board monitored the use of human volunteers and animal subjects. It also looked at the data collected. The HBP Ethics and Society Programme investigated implications on European society, industry, and economy.
EBRAINS is a research infrastructure created through The Human Brain Project. It gathers data and tools for brain-related research. EBRAINS includes brain atlases. It also features tools and services. One such tool is the sPyNNaker software suite for SpiNNaker hardware. EBRAINS is an international non-profit association. It is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.
The Human Brain Project has advanced our understanding. It combined neuroscience and technology. It used a unique interdisciplinary approach. It contributed to understanding the brain’s structure and function. It enabled applications in medicine. It also fostered technological advances. The Human Brain Project has pioneered digital brain research.