To simulate or not to simulate: what are the questions?
Simulation is a powerful method in science and engineering. However, simulation is an umbrella term, and its meaning and goals differ among disciplines. Rapid advances in neuroscience and computing draw increasing attention to large-scale brain simulations. What is the meaning of simulation, and what should the method expect to achieve? We discuss the concept of simulation from an integrated scientific and philosophical vantage point and pinpoint selected issues that are specific to brain simulation.
Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel. Electronic address: yadin.dudai@weizmann.ac.il.
Yadin
Y
Dudai
Centre of Research Ethics and Bioethics, University of Uppsala, Uppsala 75122, Sweden. Electronic address: kathinka.evers@crb.uu.se.
Kathinka
K
Evers
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain; D019295:Computational Biology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans