[MURG] Re: X-Prize

[Eric Zilli]

re: simulation vs. emulation

the american heritage dictionary says to simulate is to (among other
things) "create a representation of model of (a physical system or
particular situation, for example)." or to imitate..
the free online dictionary of computing defines a simulation as:
"Attempting to predict aspects of the behaviour of some system
by creating an approximate (mathematical) model of it. This
can be done by physical modelling, by writing a
special-purpose computer program or using a more general
simulation package, probably still aimed at a particular kind
of simulation (e.g. structural engineering, fluid flow)."

the two sources respectively say of emulation:
"To imitate the function of (another system), as by modifications to
hardware or software that allow the imitating system to accept the
same data, execute the same programs, and achieve the same results as
the imitated system."
"When one system performs in exactly the same
way as another, though perhaps not at the same speed. A
typical example would be emulation of one computer by (a
program running on) another. You might use an emulation as a
replacement for a system whereas you would use a simulation if
you just wanted to analyse it and make predictions about it."

you can interpret this as you will.. but I read it as saying that we
want to emulate the brain, not simulate it (especially see the last
sentence of the last definition for emulation)

-- 
Eric Zilli
Hasselmo Lab - Computational Neurophysiology
Center for Memory and Brain
Boston University
2 Cummington St.
Boston MA, 02215
digfarenough at gmail.com -- www.digfarenough.com