"At this point we still don't know if building a synthetic brain is feasible," said University of Southern California Professor Alice Parker. "It may take decades to realize anything close to the human brain, but emulating pieces of the brain -- such as a synthetic vision system or synthetic cochlea that interface successfully with a real brain -- may be available quite soon, and synthetic parts of the brain's cortex within decades."

She said the challenges of creating a synthetic brain are staggering. Unlike computer software that simulates brain function, a synthetic brain will include hardware that emulates brain cells, their amazingly complex connectivity and a concept Parker calls "plasticity," which allows the artificial neurons to learn through experience and adapt to changes in their environment the way real neurons do.

Currently, the scientists are creating mathematical models that accurately reflect the connections of all the neurons and demonstrate how the connections allow neurons to communicate with each other.

"It's a non-linear phenomenon and almost impossible to model, but that's what we're attempting to do," Parker said.

The research is funded by the National Science Foundation.

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