Scientists work on artificial cat brain

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36872308/ns/technology_and_science-innovation/

By Jeremy Hsu
updated 12:40 p.m. ET, Fri., April 30, 2010

Pentagon-backed scientists aim to create a human-like machine, at some point. But they are starting out with the goal of crafting artificial intelligence on the level of a cat's brain. Still there are vast challenges.

If they get far enough, however, one scientist says that they could theoretically achieve feline intelligence with a mouse-sized artificial brain and an even smaller body.

That's because bigger brains by themselves don't necessarily mean greater intelligence or more complex behavior — for instance, cats show more smarts than cows despite having a feline brain 10 times smaller than a bovine brain. What might really matter is that humans and some other species have bigger brains for their body size.


----- (skipping)

..