The Blue Brain project aims to create a digital simulation of the human brain using supercomputers. It involves (1) acquiring data on the shapes and electrical activity of neurons, (2) using that data to build biologically realistic virtual neurons and simulate their interactions, and (3) visualizing the results of the simulations in 3D. The goal is to fully simulate the brain by 2020 in order to better understand brain diseases and further artificial intelligence research. So far, the project has successfully simulated a rat cortical column and generated some of the brain's basic building blocks.