Cat's brain purrfect for computers

CHASING mice and lapping up bowls of milk are not the only talents a cat can boast.

New evidence suggests the family pets can recognise a face faster and more efficiently than a supercomputer. Scientists at the University of Michigan are using a feline brain as a model for a computer project.

University computer engineer Wei Lu has taken a step towards developing a revolutionary type of machine that could be capable of learning and recognising.

"We are building a computer in the same way that nature builds a brain," said Lu, of the University of Michigan Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. "The cat brain sets a realistic goal because it is much simpler than a human brain but still extremely difficult to replicate in complexity and efficiency."

Today's most sophisticated supercomputer can accomplish certain tasks with the brain functionality of a cat, but still performs 83 times slower than a cat's brain.