Guardian Unlimited

Cognitive computing. “The ultimate goal is to work out three specific tasks that the brain carries out: how it understands language; how it allows people to interact with each other; and how it converts speech – which is nothing more than a multi-frequency sound wave – into words and then meaning. The solutions may not lie around the corner but scientists are getting closer. Thanks to imaging techniques such as MRI and PET scanning, which allow them to see what parts of the brain are used during different tasks, understanding of the brain gets better. The potential rewards of cognitive computing are huge.”