ICBM Michigan State University Obama’s Brain Initiative, Opportunities, and Resistance from the Status Quo Juyang (John) Weng Computer Sci., Neurosci., Cognitive Sci. Michigan State University East Lansing, MI USA

ICBM Michigan State University Brain Initiatives l 4/2/2013 Obama announced his brain initiative l To get a dynamic picture of the brain l To better understand how we think, learn and remember l $100M/year plus $94M/year from private partners l EU has announced the Human Brain Project l China is preparing its own brain project

ICBM Michigan State University What is Required for the BRAIN Project? l Foremost: address the group intelligence problem l It is not that humans do not have sufficient information about how the brain works l Enough information is out there in the vast literature l Individual humans are “blinded” by the lack of group intelligence in the human race

ICBM Michigan State University Group l Group: Multiple agents that interact closely l Natural group: l A company, a nation, humans on the earth l Artificial group: l A group of developmental robots that use brain- like emergent representations l Mixed group: l With natural and artificial agents

ICBM Michigan State University Group Development: Developed Countries l It is easier for a developed country (e.g., USA) to: l Form allies based on superficial friendliness l React in a short-sighted way l Disregard development as a science l It is also harder for a developed country (e.g., USA) to see a deeper causality: Group developmental program

ICBM Michigan State University Group Development: Developing Countries l It is easier for a developing country to see: l Scientific knowledge l Advanced technology l Wealth l Weapons l It is harder for a developing country to see a deeper causality: Group developmental program

ICBM Michigan State University The US President and BRAIN l Obama : l “This is a Nation of dreamers and risk-takers.” l “We do not just track the best scientists and entrepreneurs” l “We have not unlocked the mystery of 3 pounds of matter that sits between our ears” l “Better understand how we think, how we learn, and how we remember.” l “Presumably our life would be simpler here if it would explain everything going on in Washington. (laughs)”

ICBM Michigan State University The BRAIN Initiative’s Danger: More Data, More Local Theories Little Global Theory

ICBM Michigan State University A Mind is a Bag of Tricks? (Artificial) neural networks are analogical and scruffy. - Marvin Minsky

ICBM Michigan State University The Brain is Not a Cascade of Areas! Felleman &Van Essen 1991

ICBM Michigan State University Brain-Mind: A Grand Puzzle Genome Neurons Circuits Cortex Pathways Multi-Scale nature Experience Functions Brain

ICBM Michigan State University Analogy: Power of Newton ’ s Theory l Newton used them to explain and investigate the motion of many physical objects and systems. l For example, Newton showed that these laws of motion, combined with his law of universal gravitation, explained Kepler's laws of planetary motion.

ICBM Michigan State University Brain-Mind Institute: meant to serve you and to avoid the danger

ICBM Michigan State University BMI 831 Cognitive Science for Brain-Mind Research Instructor 2013: Juyang Weng Brain-Mind Institute

ICBM Michigan State University The material is very rich and interesting …

ICBM Michigan State University BMI 871 Introduction to Computational Brain-Mind Instructor 2013: Juyang Weng

ICBM Michigan State University How a Brain-Mind Works in Principle (and Experiments) The Book Tells You …

ICBM Michigan State University The Entire Developmental Algorithm is about 2-Page Long The Book Shows …

ICBM Michigan State University How? For any FA there is a DN Weng IJCNN 2010 DN: Developmental Network (Earlier called ED Network) FA: Finite Automaton Marvin Minsky at MIT criticized ANNs

ICBM Michigan State University Resistance to Understanding the Brain l From government branches l From neuroscience l From cognitive science or psychology l From computer science l From electrical engineering l From mathematics

ICBM Michigan State University From Government Branches l “If you do something small, I would fund it.” l “People do not like that you do everything (your work would tell how everything works in the brain schematically).” l Thus, only piece meal, incremental projects have been funded. l But, focused developmental brain modeling and simulation proposals have been wrongly accused “to do everything”.

ICBM Michigan State University From Neuroscience l “I am only interested in brain areas A and B” l The brain is incorrectly considered as a homunculus body that consists of many “organs” l “Thus, each organ is sufficient to be focused on to find its roles.” l Thus, data rich, theory poor l However, our brain-scale theory predicts that there is no brain area whose role can be explained individually!

ICBM Michigan State University From Cognitive Science l Traditionally, focused on subject behaviors l Traditionally, focused on a specific hypothesis l “How the brain works? Not my problem” l Incorrectly assumed that area A does x and y.

ICBM Michigan State University From Computer Science l Misled early on by the Turing Test l Misled by Von Neumann computers l ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE should be predominantly "ARTIFICIAL" -- it need not compute by simulating the human mind. l “If the R&N text is inadequate, then the new Weng book will be even more limiting”

ICBM Michigan State University From Electrical Engineering l Mature theories for linear systems l Immature theories for nonlinear system l Lack of knowledge in artificial intelligence methods l But, the brain is a general- purpose nonlinear system that self-programs

ICBM Michigan State University From Mathematics l Typically, mathematicians are satisfied with proving an open theorem l Importance? Well, let the future sort it out l But the brain is a mathematical problem! l The new brain math will solve many well-known practical math problems

ICBM Michigan State University Great opportunities for all of you!