The Whole Brain Emulation Coffee Table Book

(Depicted cover is - obviously - not representative of actual cover.)

The Whole Brain Emulation Coffee Table Book:

Reverse Engineering A Mind

by Dr. Randal A. Koene

(in production)

The WBE Coffee Table Book is an easy-to-read, but carefully composed overview of the field of Whole Brain Emulation, explored as a feasible project towards Substrate-Independent Minds.

The concept of a Substrate-Independent Mind is introduced with motivations, as is the rationale behind the Whole Brain Emulation approach. The flow of the book's presentation takes you through all of the stages of a procedure from brain to emulation.

Whole Brain Emulation is tackled as a concrete scientific and engineering challenge based on system identification, with a chartable development roadmap. Problems are identified and a number of realistic solutions, their related ongoing projects and references are presented in each case.

Data acquisition through structure mapping and brain activity mapping, iterative model building, hypothesis testing and concepts for emulation platforms are addressed.

Connections with major neuroscience efforts, the Allen Brain Atlas, the Human Brain Project and the BRAIN Initiative are shown. Where appropriate, the WBE Coffee Table Book makes short tangents into interesting spin-off opportunities that arise from the work towards Whole Brain Emulation.

Given the presentation style of the book and the breadth of the intended audience, presentation of a complete thread is given emphasis over the delivery of some details that are instead available through reference. Nevertheless, frequently asked questions in the field are presented with the reasonable answers that are available at this time.

Review, pre-launch and launch of the Whole Brain Emulation Coffee Table Book:

• At this time, the Whole Brain Emulation Coffee Table Book is undergoing draft-review by a first batch of review readers.

• The second (and possibly final) batch of reviewers will be receiving another draft shortly, at the same time as the production of images used to elucidate each page of text commences.

• The final copy is anticipated by the end of 2013.

Status updates for the Whole Brain Emulation Coffee Table Book will appear on this page.