A new transistor that can mimic the complex process of neurons firing messages to each other through synapses is leading electronics one step toward behaving, or at least thinking, like humans.
Researchers led by physicist Dominique Vuillaume of the
Institute of Electronics, Microelectronics, and Nanotechnology in France have
developed a new transistor that can mimic the complex process of neurons firing
messages to each other, as well as to muscles and glands, through synapses—leading
electronics one step toward behaving, or at least thinking, like humans.
Every thought, every perception and every movement is made
possible by complex computations as neurons fire messages to each other, as
well as to muscles and glands. Synapses are the junctions through which these
messages travel. There are about a billion synapses in every cubic millimeter
of cerebral cortex—an incredible 100 trillion to 500 trillion in an adult
brain.
The New Transistor
Technology
A biological neuron is converted by a synapse into
neurotransmitters, or chemicals, that help facilitate communication between
neurons and cells. The nanoparticle organic memory field-effect transistor
(NOMFET) uses gold nanoparticles, a layer of insulation and a layer of
pentacene, an organic semiconductor. The gold nanoparticles were positioned in
a trough between two electrodes and covered with pentacene. Missing electrons
in the conductive material created positive charges that transmitted the
current across the nanoparticles. There are voltage points, like the brain’s
synapses, where some of these charges are temporarily trapped by the
nanoparticles. Depending on the voltage Vuillaume and his team used, the
outputs were stronger or weaker. This mimics biological short-term plasticity.
NOMFET is the most flexible and efficient transistor to
mimic synaptic behavior to date, and could well lead to computers that are able
to mimic human thought processes to an extent. Image processing, recognition
and more complex tasks would be handled more efficiently by such computers. The
technology could also be used to attach artificial devices to living biological
tissue. While computers will not be able to re-create human thoughts exactly
like a living, breathing person, this advance put science fiction a little
closer to fact.
A user comment on this articlePosted on: 03-15-10 | By: RogerInteresting stuff moving forward around the world, like in this article: http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/41916
A user comment on this articlePosted on: 03-15-10 | By: Bob K<<The technology could also be used to attach artificial devices to living biological tissue.>> This could certainly help advance medicine, especially for people who may have lost limbs etc. Call me old-school, but as much as I'm a proponent of technology, the idea of having machines truly thinking like humans both intrigues as well as scares me.
