COMPUTER-MODELS OF THE BRAIN - HOW FAR CAN THEY TAKE US

The recent developments in computer capacity and algorithms, together with a tremendous growth of data in neuroscience have dramatically imp roved the possibilities of modeling and simulating certain brain struc tures and activities with a considerable degree of realism. Although t here is still a long way to go, some claim that we will one day be abl e to create artificial ''brains'' with similar capacity to the human b rain, perhaps even surpassing it. Here we focus on these perspectives, discussing the potentials and limitations of today's computer models, and how far they might be able to take us.