The human brain is often used as a benchmark of how computers work. But the truth is that computers are still far from performance and functioning of the brain. Or at least so far it was. The situation may soon change after researchers created a computing technology that uses light to mimics the functionality of neural synapses. This opens the way for the creation of hardware that will combine the speed of modern processors efficiency of the brain.
And the brain and processors are systems that can model, manipulate and store information. But here the differences stop. While processors combined electrical pulses with miniature switches that perform functions neurons use chemical reactions to distribute pulses on multiple channels, called synapses. The difference is really important when it comes to memory and consumption of energy . None manmade hardware so far can not even get close to the performance and storage capacity of the brain. Now scientists from three universities, Oxford and Exeter Munster have created a "holy grail" of the calculation, creating a photon integral circuit that functions as a synapse.
source: Science Alert