How the Brain Makes You: Collective Intelligence and Computation by Neural Circuits

Vijay Balasubramanian University of Pennsylvania, SFI The human brain consists of a 100 billion neurons connected by a 100 trillion synapses. In its computational function, each neuron is a simple electrical device. In this sense it is no different, in its conceptual essence, from a transistor or a diode in a silicon microchip, converting input signals into ephemeral voltage pulses that transmit to other neurons. And yet, the collective effect of these tiny electrical flutterings creates the intelligent mind, with its astonishing capacity for perception and action, memory and imagination, affection and indifference. In the words of Ramon y Cajal (1854-1932), a founding figure of neuroscience, neurons are "the mysterious butterflies of the soul, whose beating of wings may one day reveal to us the secrets of the mind." In this talk, Vijay Balasubramanian will explore current ideas about how this transmutation occurs. Learn more at santafe.edu Follow us on social media: / sfiscience / sfiscience / santafeinstitute / santafeinstitute / santafeinstitute Subscribe to SFI's official podcasts: complexity.sim... aliencrashsite...

[@berg0002]

Vijay Balasubramanian is as brilliant and beautiful as his name.. Great presentation, I love the energy and skills to teach this stuff.

[@mikesmith2905]

Another fascinating talk, thank you for making it so widely available.

[@appidydafoo]

Thank you for making this available, a lot to study here

[@lunchguy659]

Awesome. Thanks for posting this lecture.

[@hdd_1230]

Very interesting lecture with a very good presenter. This is the kind of lecture physics students aim to learn from, the organization, details, and laymen language explanation (increase exposure). Do you really need to know what a vector space is? And math people will give you 'useless' definitions like vector spaces are the span of vectors.

[@MS-od7je]

Thanks for this post

[@CopperKettle]

Thank you

[@berg0002]

Combinatorial sensing and its random nature “smells” like quantum theory. Not that it is quantum, but the principles of probability, encoding and parallel processing look similar.

[@montedyoung3247]

With AI, will it help further thinking there?