Can We Build a Virtual Brain? Film Screening In Silico

“In ten years, we will have built a virtual brain”. That is what neuroscientist Henry Markram claimed in 2009 when working on the Blue Brain Project. The years flew by, the EU even funded 1 billion euros in its successor: the “Human Brain Project” (HBP). As of now, however, criticasters see it as a failure. Markram was even removed from the project in 2015. Was this venture doomed from the start? Driven more by ego than science? Or is it truly possible to simulate the entire human brain in a machine? In this film screening + introduction of In Silico, you will find out.

Date: Tuesday 23 Nov 2021, 20:00 - 22:00
Type: General
Spoken Language: English
Location: Erasmus Paviljoen, Woudestein

For the documentary In Silico, filmmaker Noah Hutton documented Markram’s 10-year quest to simulate the entire human brain on supercomputers. Millions of euros were on the line, but the project remained very controversial and has been suggested to be fruitless by some. What went on in the mind of Markram during this project? In Silico is a story about bold predictions and controversial science, where the lines between objectivity and personal ambition blur.

The film will be introduced by dr. Mario Negrello, neuroscientist and assistant professor at Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam. His research focusses on brain mapping and computational models of the brain. Dr. Negrello has been following the Human Brain Project closely since its conception and holds a balanced view over its claims, results, and failings. He will give his perspective on the possibility of a ‘computer brain’, Henry Markram, and the progress of the HBP.

This film screening is part of InScience – International Science Film Festival Nijmegen and organized by Studium Generale and InScience. InScience is one of the biggest science film festivals in Europe. The program most importantly consists of an overview of the best science films of the year. InScience offers a broad program, with talks, film debates, Q&A’s, meetings and expositions on the cutting edge of science and art. The 7th edition of InScience takes places from 10 – 14 november 2021 in Nijmegen.

Interested in more InScience? On Monday 15 November Lantarenvenster will host a screening of the documentary Citizen Nobel, with an aftertalk by environmental philosopher Yogi Henlin (Erasmus School of Philosophy).