IBM have developed a microprocessor which, it is claimed, is the closest an artificiallly built mechanism has come to mimicing the behaviour of a brain synapse.
Apparently our brain learns by forming connections which grow stronger over time based on our experiences. The smart thing about the brain in effect, is that it knows which connections to ignore, and which to pay more attention to.
IBM claim to have an algorithm which knows which experiences to ignore and which to pay attention to - much as the brain does.
Anyway, the article explains it much better than I can, here's the link: Computer chip brain article
Is this the start of more intelligent computers as opposed to just number crunchers?
