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Robot Brains that Mimic Nature; Is Farming Destroying the Irish Countryside?

The Bumblebees are one of many insects that are crucial to the well-being of plants and the Irish countryside as they facilitate pollination. The bumblebee species pictured here is Bombus Muscorum (Credit, J. Breen & National Biodiversity Data Centre)

LISTEN:  Robotic Brains; Is Farming Destroying the Irish Countryside?

The human brain is a remarkable organ. It learns from and adapts to the environment, can repair itself and is capable of non-linear, sophisticated decision making. Researchers at NUIG want to mimic these abilities in a robotic brain.

Intensive farming has reduced the number of  species in the Irish countryside in recent decades, including, worryingly, many insect species that facilitate plant pollination. The situation is better on organic farms, but is going organic the answer for Ireland?

Guests:

(1) Dr Fearghal Morgan, Director of the Bio-Inspired Electronics and Reconfigurable Computing (BIRC) research group, at NUI Galway.

(2) Dr Jane Stout, School of Natural Sciences, TCD.

Broadcast on 103.2 Dublin City FM on 21/07/2011

To contact the show email:  sciencespinning@dublincityfm.ie