Apr 9
Cinema Arts Centre Huntington, NY
TicketsDr. Alexei Koulakov
Professor of Neuroscience at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Theatre of Thought— Networks of brains and computers
Program Description
As neurotechnology evolves, it raises crucial questions: What does it mean to be human when our thoughts can be accessed by machines? And how far should we push the boundaries of mind control?
Participate in a live Q&A with Dr. Alexei Koulakov, Professor of Neuroscience at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Before the discussion opens up to audience questions, Dr. Koulakov will briefly explain his pioneering research on brain networks, sensory systems, and the future of Neurotechnology.
Film Synopsis
Werner Herzog shows off his fascination with the human brain in his latest documentary.
Werner Herzog sets his sights on yet another mysterious landscape — the human brain — for clues as to why a hunk of tissue can produce profound thoughts and feelings while considering the philosophical, ethical, and social implications of fast-advancing neural technology.
About the Speaker
Alexei Koulakov and colleagues are trying to determine the mathematical rules by which the brain assembles itself, with particular focus on the formation of sensory circuits such as those involved in visual perception and olfaction. The visual system of the mouse was chosen for study in part because its components, in neuroanatomical terms, are well understood. What is not known is how projections are generated that lead from the eye through the thalamus and into the visual cortex, how an individual’s experience influences the configuration of the network, and what parameters for the process are set by genetic factors. Even less is known about the assembly of the neural net within the mouse olfactory system, which, in the end, enables the individual to distinguish one smell from another with astonishing specificity and to remember such distinctions over time. These are among the challenges that engage Koulakov and his team.