How the Brain is similar to a Computer:
To start off, they both send signals around their host via electrical signals. The brain sends its signals through the nervous systems at high speeds, however, a bit slower than the speed at which the computer sends signals around using its wires. They both also send vital pieces of information and receive from their respective hubs. Everything runs through the brain for the human, which receives and sends information, similar to the CPU for a computer. Although it is in different ways, they both have memories that can grow. The human brain grows its memories via forming stronger synaptic connections, while you can just add RAM to a computer to increase its memory. They both need energy to operate: the brain uses oxygen and sugar to power it, while the computer needs a constant source of electricity as power to keep it working [1].
They also can both be damaged, modified, and changed in the sense that they will be different than how they started off. In the sense of a computer, you can damage or modify a part in turn, in turn causing it to be changed. You technically can go back and revert to the original system build if the part was simply swapped to upgrade and not a loss of functionality. However, in a brain the healing process does not work in that sense, once brain damage occurs there is no healing it back to how it was [2]. The neurons may be replaced, but that is very difficult since neurons typically die too quickly from the damage before treatment can be applied.
Both, humans and computers, are capable of computing mathematical and logistical tasks. While the computer is much faster when it comes to more rudimentary and logical calculations, the complex theoretical concepts are where the human brain is superior. Although, with the advancement of Machine Learning, especially with Deep Learning, that may not be the case in the future. On top of all that, both brains are constantly being studied by scientists in order to help the other one out. The ultimate brain would take the best features from both, I.e., combining the human brainpower to handle emotions and complex thoughts with the lightning fast speeds the computer brain computes equations and basic logical problems.
If we were to relate our brain to physical parts of a computer, it would be something like this: the software of the computer is the human mind itself, the human brain would be the computer CPU, the memory would be the RAM, the long memory would be the C: Drive, the bio-life would be the AC Power, our peripherals like eyes, noses, mouths would be mouses, keyboards, microphones, and our limbs, voice box would be output devices such as speakers [3].
References
https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/bvc.html [1]
https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-similarities-between-computers-and-human-beings [3]
— Aniket Mishra
