Functionalism: Definition & AI Consciousness Debate
Chapter 1

The spark of sentience

Chapter 2

Global views on machine souls

Chapter 3

The biology vs silicon debate

Chapter 4

The ethics of a waking machine

YOUR GOAL

Master of The dream of the thinking machine

Ch 3 · The biology vs silicon debate
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007skaty The Blue Brain Project creates digital simulations of the mammalian brain.

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007skaty The Blue Brain Project

We're connecting in eleven dimensions (yeah, eleven dimensions!)

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We spend vast resources trying to replicate what we do effortlessly.

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007skaty DishBrain merges living brain cells with computer technology

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The physical limits of biological brains

007skaty About 86 billion neurons send chemical signals at 120 meters per second, while megawatt AI supercomputers process electrical signals much faster.

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The rise of neuromorphic computing

007skaty Intel's Loihi and IBM's TrueNorth chips bridge the gap to conscious artificial intelligence

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DishBrain and biological computing
BETA

007skaty Zap brain cells with electrical pulses to discover how biological computers learn.

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Fun Fact

Supercomputer hunger: Training a single large AI model can consume more electricity than 100 US homes use in an entire year, while your brain runs on a sandwich.

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Glossary
functionalism (noun)
The philosophical theory that mental states are defined by their functional roles rather than their physical composition. In 2026, neuroscientist Anil Seth challenged this view, arguing that silicon processors cannot replicate biological consciousness.

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Gossip

Will computers surpass human brains?

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Quiz

What is the approximate number of neurons in a typical adult human brain?

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007skaty Engineers build neuromorphic computer hardware modeled after the human brain

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Quiz

Approximately how many watts of power does a human brain require to operate?

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007skaty The physical limits of the human brain.

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Quiz

Which neuromorphic research chip did Intel introduce in 2017 to mimic biological brain processing?

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Quiz

Unlike traditional chips, how do neuromorphic chips process and transmit information?

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Quiz

What is the term used for computers that combine living biological cells with traditional hardware?

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Quiz

Which classic video game was the DishBrain system taught to play in 2022?

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Quiz

In which country is the Blue Brain Project headquartered?

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Quiz

Which animal's neocortex slice did the Blue Brain Project successfully simulate using supercomputers?

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