Computers with the same capabilities as the human brain have been prime science-fiction fantasy material for decades. However, what was once thought to be an impossible dream has taken a big step closer to becoming reality with the news that engineers at MIT have successfully created a computer memory chip capable of mimicking the function of a synapse.

A synapse is a space between neurotransmitters and the computer chip's ability to replicate this function means it may be invaluable for medical research. Researches think that it could potentially be used not just in computers but in devices such as artificial retinas, creating a whole new generation of medical advancement.

The computer memory breakthrough comes as part of a collaborative project between DARPA and IBM. The project was tasked with developing a computer memory chip that could learn and remember in much the same way a human brain does. The chip is unique because when replicating the iron channels in the brain, the chip allows current to flow through it constantly whereas most chips are like a switch with an on/off motion. Scientists have pointed out that with an estimated 100 billion neurons in the brain, the synapse chip is just a very small step on the path to creating a complete artificial brain. However, the existence of the chip means that the reality is a step closer.

Even if you don't want to do anything as lofty as reproduce a human brain on your home or office computer, computer chip advancements like this have many long term positive benefits for the more common memory upgrades we're used to.

Where you may now look to purchase an Apple memory upgrade of 1GB to improve your computer's performance, in future the size, speed and capabilities of standard memory upgrades will likely be much bigger running in to tens or dozens of GB, making your machine a powerful super computer in its own right.

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