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Supercomputing is awesome, and super-computed models of complex systems is something we ultratech geeks salivate over. This is especially true when discussing methods to solve the ever so elusive structural mysteries of one the most complicated thing in the cosmos – the human mind.

IBM’s Blue Brain project ambitiously seeks to re-create a model of the human brain, neuron per neuron, synapse per synapse entirely* in silico*. Recently they’ve managed to model a variety of interesting neural networks like cortical columns in mice, and recently published results of simulations that detailed aspects of networked cat neurophysiology. Filmaker Noah Hutton documents this ambitious project in this short film clip from his forthcoming documentary on the project.

Bluebrain | Year One from Couple 3 Films on Vimeo.

Ambitious as this project is, its not without controversy. IEEE Spectrum ran a piecea couple of months back that puts this research into context. Still, its hard not to basque in the radiance of something as profound as building a virtual neural architecture and its implications for medicine, AI, and the eternally sexy topic of data infrastructure.