View source for The Computer and the Brain

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[[File:TheComputerAndTheBrain.jpg|thumb|First edition<br>(publ. [[Yale University Press]])]]
'''''The Computer and the Brain''''' is an unfinished book by mathematician [[John von Neumann]], begun shortly before his death and first published in 1958.  Von Neumann was an important figure [[John_von_Neumann#Computing|in computer science]]{{Broken anchor|date=2024-11-19|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=John_von_Neumann#Computing|reason=Anchor "John_von_Neumann#Computing" links to a specific web page: "Computing". The anchor (Computing) [[Special:Diff/1073605695|has been deleted]].}}, and the book discusses how the brain can be viewed as a computing machine.  The book is speculative in nature, but von Neumann discusses several important differences between brains and computers of his day (such as processing speed and [[parallel computing|parallelism]]), as well as suggesting directions for future research.
At only 96 pages, the book was originally intended for Yale's [[Silliman lecture]]s, but it was published posthumously. The first edition was published in 1958 with a preface by [[Klara Dan von Neumann]].<ref>{{cite web|last=von Neumann|first=Klara|title=Preface, Von Neumann Silliman lectures|url=http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/Extras/Von_Neumann_Silliman.html|work=[[MacTutor History of Mathematics archive]]|publisher=School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews Scotland|accessdate=31 March 2012}}</ref> The second edition, published in 2000, contains a foreword by [[Paul Churchland]] and [[Patricia Churchland]] that places von Neumann's views in the context of science at that time. The [https://ia600707.us.archive.org/3/items/0300181116TheComputerBrain_201901/0300181116_The%20Computer%20Brain.pdf third edition], published in 2012, features a foreword by [[Ray Kurzweil]]. It has the {{ISBN|9780300181111}}.
== See also ==
*[[Computational theory of mind]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* {{cite web |url= http://www.leydesdorff.net/vonneumann/ |title= The Code of Mathematics: John von Neumann's The Computer and the Brain |first= Loet |last= Leydesdorff |date= 2016 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Computer and the Brain}}
[[Category:Computer books]]
[[Category:Neuroscience books]]
[[Category:1958 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:Yale University Press books]]
[[Category:John von Neumann]]
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