Human Cognome Project

The Human Cognome Project seeks to reverse engineer the human brain, paralleling in many ways the Human Genome Project and its success in deciphering the human genome. The HCP is a multidisciplinary undertaking, relevant to, among others: biology, neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, artificial intelligence and philosophy of mind. Analytical techniques used in the Human Cognome Project include:

* studying brain "biology" and "chemistry" in wet lab experiments,
* studying brain "structure" using frozen/ chemically preserved tissue sample scanning and imaging,
* studying brain "activity" and "function" using electroencephalography, neuroimaging and invasive probes (commonly wire or silicon),
* studying brain "development" though the field of morphogenesis,
* studying brain "disease", "injury" and "dysfunction" through the fields of brain pathology, neurology and psychopharmacology, and
* studying psychology relative to brain structure and function through neuropsychology

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and other scientific research bodies have endorsed the Human Cognome Project.

Fundamental brain research as a primary enabler for creating augmented human intelligence and smarter-than-human strong artificial intelligence is recognized by many public figures, most notably entrepreneurs Ray Kurzweil, Jeff Hawkins, Bill Joy and Paul Allen, scientist Stephen Hawking, writer Arthur C. Clarke, and philosopher Max More.

References

* [http://www.technology.gov/reports/2002/NBIC/Part1.pdf Converging Technologies for Improving Human Performance] : Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Information Technology and Cognitive Science, National Science Foundation, Department of Commerce, Report from Workshop, December 3-4, 2001.

* [http://www.gnxp.com/blog/2007/01/10-questions-for-gyki.php György Buzsáki answers questions arising from his recent book] , Rhythms of the Brain.

External links

* [http://www.stanford.edu/~rhorn/a/topic/cognom/tocCncptlzHumnCognome.html Robert Horn's "Human Cognome Project" Page at Stanford University]

* [http://redwood.berkeley.edu/ The Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience] (founded by Jeff Hawkins)

* [http://www.eng.ucy.ac.cy/cpitris/courses/ECE001/notes/IEEEarticles/This%20Is%20Your%20Brain%20Online%20-%20Jan%202004.pdf This Is Your Brain Online] "Paul Allen’s $100 million for mapping the brain will produce the largest trove of biological data ever." [http://www.brainatlas.org/ Allen Brain Atlas]

* [http://brainmaps.org BrainMaps.org] High-Resolution Brain Maps and Interactive Brain Atlases

* [http://bmi.epfl.ch/ The Brain Mind Institute] in Switzerland, affiliated with the University of Geneva, the University of Lausanne, and others.