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ePaper created 2013-08-02, 08:40:53 | version 1.25.20
2|2013 Research in Jülich COVER STORY | Human Brain Modelling 7 Operation Brain The human brain is a brilliant thinking organ. Although it is millions of years old and has been the subject of scientific interest for centuries, numerous puzzles remain to be solved by science. Supercomputers, by comparison, are relative newcomers. However, their gigantic computing power allows scientists to reveal the secrets of the human control centre. This is the objective of the research area of human brain modelling, which brings together researchers from a variety of disciplines. ? What can computers learn from the brain? Prof. Thomas Lippert, Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC) ? How can we reconstruct the brain on a computer? Dr. Boris Orth, High Performance Computing in Neuroscience (JSC) ? How can we fix problems in the communication between neurons? Prof. Peter Tass, Neuromodulation (INM-7) T he task of reconstructing the brain on a computer is similar in com- plexity to space travel. And the team involved is as interdisciplinary as the ground crew supporting a space mis- sion. At Jülich alone, medical scientists, physicists, biologists, chemists, psy- chologists, engineers, mathematicians, and computer experts work hand in hand to meet this challenge. From mole- cules and individual neurons to neuron clusters and entire areas of the brain: the researchers are analysing all the or- ganizational levels of the brain in great detail. This is achieved using models, high-precision simulation software, and the technical infrastructure of the Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC). Without the mathematical prowess of the super- computers, research would only pro- gress at a snail’s pace.