ACADEMIA

Israel Brain Technologies Announces $1 Million B.R.A.I.N. Prize for Innovation in Neurotechnology inspired by Peres’s Vision for Brain Research and Technology

Speaking at the HTIA 2012 hi-tech conference in Jerusalem, Israeli President Shimon Peres said that as the world becomes increasingly global, humanity must harness the power of the brain to change reality as we know it.

“Imagine if we could reinvent computers based on our own internal wiring. We would be able to revolutionize every single field known to humankind”
“The brain is more important now than ever before,” Peres said, adding that he foresees monumental changes taking place very soon, and that Israel is well positioned to serve as a center for brain research and technology.

Peres addressed over 4,000 HTIA 2012 participants, including hi-tech leaders from all over the world, after Israel Brain Technology (IBT) Founder and Chairman Dr. Rafi Gidron launched IBT’s $1 million B.R.A.I.N. (Breakthrough Research And Innovation in Neurotechnology) Prize. The prize will be awarded to any individual or team throughout the world who can demonstrate an extraordinary breakthrough in brain technology which has potential for significant impact on humanity. IBT was created to turn President Peres’ vision of Israel as an international hub for brain research and technology into reality.

The Israeli President told the audience that although our brains are the most influential tool we have at our disposal, we understand only a fraction of their inner-workings.

“We have this mysterious brain that is incomparable to anything else. We are strangers to ourselves,” Peres said.

Peres said that Israel is uniquely primed for breakthroughs in the field of neurotechnology, attributing this largely to the country’s historical struggles.

“Israel’s greatest contribution to the rest of the world is its dissatisfaction. A good Jew cannot be satisfied. So we are always revolutionizing and searching and innovating. It’s in our DNA,” Peres said.

Gidron shared Peres’s vision for the future of brain technology, telling conference participants that our knowledge of the brain today is only at its infancy. Gidron compared the brain to a supercomputer that is far more advanced, powerful and sophisticated than any current computer or processor, calling it a “biological supercomputer.”

“Imagine if we could reinvent computers based on our own internal wiring. We would be able to revolutionize every single field known to humankind,” Gidron said.

Gidron said that by unlocking the secrets of our own brains, we can change the planet. “Now is the time to open our minds, right here, right now, by turning Israel into an international hub for brain technology. By making the ‘Startup Nation’ the ‘Brain Nation,’” said Gidron.