History of Neural Networks

History of Neural Networks: "the study of the human brain is thousands of years old. With the advent of modern electronics, it was only natural to try to harness this thinking process. The first step toward artificial neural networks came in 1943 when Warren McCulloch, a neurophysiologist, and a young mathematician, Walter Pitts, wrote a paper on how neurons might work. They modeled a simple neural network with electrical circuits.
Reinforcing this concept of neurons and how they work was a book written by Donald Hebb. The Organization of Behavior was written in 1949. It pointed out that neural pathways are strengthened each time that they are used.
As computers advanced into their infancy of the 1950s, it became possible to begin to model the rudiments of these theories concerning human thought. Nathanial Rochester from the IBM research laboratories led the first effort to simulate a neural network. That first attempt failed. But later attempts were successful. It was during this time that traditional computing began to flower and, as it did, the emphasis in computing left the neural research in the background."

Steve's Commentary
The development of artificial neural networks is a key example of how cross-disciplinary efforts have lead to advances in computing technology. This site has a pretty comprehensive history of the development of neural networks.