The Largest Brain in Switzerland

The task sounded complicated to begin with: use the methods of machine learning to create a program that could classify certain small scale features in the atmosphere of our Sun. These features we are interested in are so called solar jets, a collimated ejection of plasma created by magnetic recombination. For this I worked at PMOD, the “Physikalisches Metorologisches Observatorium Davos” in Davos Dorf. Here I would meet experts from the institute that could tell me everything about the solar jets as well as professional AI engineers from Lab42, a small company based in Davos, to answer all the questions about AI I would ever have.

Even with all these resources the task would not be easy. For one, I myself have never worked with methods of machine learning and the other thing is that even the experts on solar jets are often unsure if they are looking at a solar jet or not, so how is an AI supposed to distinguish between them?

The good news is that I was not alone with this task. We were a total of three master students working on this project together: Together with Michel, whos previous experience in AI engineering would proof to be extremely helpful, and Remy, who is among many things a talented programmer,  we would start to familiarize ourselves with the task we faced as soon as we arrived in Davos.

First we met with the experts on solar jets to learn about the physics behind the process we aim to classify. After all, we are all physics students. In a second big meeting, we then met with Hansueli, our expert AI engineer from Lab42.

After a warm welcome at Lab42, he lead the way to their conference room. It was a bright open room with a bay window and a massive circular wooden table in the middle, where the likes of Napoleon have dined before. In the corner of the room by the window was the biggest and possibly brightest brain I have ever seen. The illuminated artificial brain rested on a transparent pedestal which was covered in signatures by people who have visited this place before. Besides the brain was an orange banner and on this banner was a pattern of hands, interlocked with one another to form a brain. This brain is the very embodiment of Lab42’s promise, the decoding of the mind, for all of humankind.

One of the first questions Hansueli asked us that day was, what we think what intelligence is. It is surprisingly difficult to grasp, as it comes in many different forms. Is the the ability to adapt, to improvise or merely to be self aware? From that day on I had many interesting discussions with friends and family on that very topic.

While our goal is neither as grand nor as noble as the goal of Lab42 it feels just as daring as theirs. But as a team and with the help of Lab42 and PMOD I am optimistic that we can do it.

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