The million-dollar prize will go to an individual or team throughout the world who can demonstrate an extraordinary breakthrough in brain technology with global implications.
Africa shouldn't just focus on local problems but needs to aspire to be at the core of global science to stop the brain drain and make the best of its talent.
Jeff Hawkins, Numenta co-founder, and Michael Chui, a principal at the McKinsey Global Institute will discuss on Wednesday evening an alternative approach to big data, using brain-inspired machine learning technology and a cloud-based service called Grok that recognizes complex patterns from data streams and generates actionable predictions in real time.
More broadly, the move should serve two purposes for GM CEO Dan Akerson and a marketing brain trust that has been amorphously structured since the infamous departure of Joel Ewanick as global CMO last spring.
Whatever the case, one of the most endearing features of the enterprise is that Mr Gates gives the impression that a combination of his money, his brain-power and the brain-power of the people that his money can buy could actually solve some of the problems of global health.