5 Min With...

Dr. Horst Simon

Brain Simulations + Earth-2 + Time Travel

October 11th, 2024

Let’s introduce to our audience Dr. Horst Simon! Who are you? If you had to describe yourself in 1 sentence, what would you say?

I’m a computational scientist on a mission to push the boundaries of knowledge using the unmatched power of supercomputers and simulation.

What are the most
A- Fascinating research
B- Impactful research
C- Fun and whimsical research
You are leading these days?

Fascinating research: One of the most fascinating projects I've worked on was with Dharmendra Modha and his team from IBM, where we built a large-scale brain simulation on supercomputers. This was a groundbreaking attempt to understand how the brain signals information using a computational model. Today, I continue this interest as an advisor to the EBRAINS project, which seeks to build a sustainable and scalable infrastructure for neuroscience research. This work is fascinating because it aims to unlock the mysteries of the brain by leveraging supercomputing to simulate neural processes that could one day lead to breakthroughs in understanding cognition and neurological disorders.


Impactful research:
Early in my career, I wrote software to compute the stability of airplanes, using innovative algorithms on one of the first supercomputers—the Cray—in the 1980s. This software was crucial in ensuring that airplanes would not break midair due to material fatigue, and remarkably, it’s still in use today, contributing to the safety and stability of commercial aircraft. The long-lasting impact of this work is a testament to how high-performance computing can solve critical real-world problems and make aviation safer for everyone.

Fun and whimsical research you are leading these days? I’ve always found whimsical projects in optimization problems—such as complex graph algorithms that seem abstract but hold practical solutions for logistics or networks. Playing around with such algorithms can feel like solving intricate puzzles.

You’ve contributed to projects that deal with solving big, complex problems efficiently. If you could solve one big global problem with the tools and methods you’ve developed, what would it be and why?

If I could solve one big problem, it would be climate change. The tools and methods of HPC and AI offer unparalleled capacity for modeling climate systems and devising solutions, from predicting extreme weather to optimizing energy grids. Climate change affects every facet of life, and having the computational power to simulate different scenarios could help mitigate its worst impacts.

You work with some incredibly complex systems—how would you explain your job to someone with zero technical background? And what’s one amazing thing these supercomputers can do that would totally blow people’s minds?

I work with supercomputers, which are essentially computers that are millions of times faster than your laptop. They solve problems that are so big or complex that no other computer can tackle them, like simulating the climate of the entire planet or finding new treatments for diseases. One amazing thing these supercomputers can do is simulate the human brain's activity down to the neuron level—this kind of insight could one day help cure neurological diseases

AI…AI…AI…is AI doing anything useful in your field?

Not yet, If AI can write software that solves the first homework assignment in my class CS267 in Berkeley with a result better than first year graduate students, then I think we have something to talk about. 

If you could design an experiment without any limitations of time or money… what would it be?

I would design a comprehensive climate model and the supercomputer it will run on,  that integrates every possible variable, from atmospheric data to human activity, in particular economic decisions, with real-time feedback and intervention simulations. It would allow us to see, in real-time, the impact of decisions we make today and test scenarios to find the best paths forward for sustainability. Something like a future system following up to ideas like Earth-2 digital twin or Earth Visualization Engine (EVE).

If you could have a superhero power. What would it be?

Time travel. 

Mystery dinner party…Dead or Alive, who would be 3 guests you would invite to your dinner party?

Alan Turing – I would love to ask him how he would formulate a Turing test now in 2025, after learning about all the progress in AI.Leonardo da Vinci – I'd like to find out which of our current technologies would genuinely amaze him, given his visionary perspective.Roger Penrose – I’m really eager to talk with him about quantum computing and consciousness, as his ideas in these areas are fascinating and often provocative.

If you could leave a question for the next guest, what would that be?

What is the most exciting discovery you've made that you did not expect?

What is some recent research in another field which really surprised you?

I’ve been intrigued by recent advances in quantum computing. The ability to process information in fundamentally different ways opens up possibilities we’ve only begun to explore—such as solving problems previously thought unsolvable, including aspects of material science and cryptography.

What is your favorite equation...and why...what does it signify?

My favorite equation would have to be Euler's identity: e^iπ+1=0 e^{i\pi} + 1 = 0.  It elegantly brings together five fundamental constants in mathematics (e, i, π, 1, and 0) and represents a deep connection between seemingly unrelated areas of mathematics—complex numbers, geometry, and exponential functions. It's beautiful in its simplicity and profundity.

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