
Researchers 'Reprogram' Network of Brain Cells with Thin Beam of Light - rch
http://datascience.columbia.edu/researchers-reprogram-network-brain-cells-light
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blennon
This research from Yuste's lab is really refreshing to me and probably more
appealing to the HN audience than a lot of other neuroscience research. The
main reason is that it focuses on how the brain carries out information
processing and tests predictions made by theoretical and mathematical models
of neuroscience proposed ages ago, e.g. Hebbian cell assemblies, attractor
networks (Grossberg, Amari, Hopfield, et al.). And of course, there's a
feedback loop here that further informs these theoretical models. I believe
Numenta uses some of these principals in their models.

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notaboutcode
“I always thought the brain was mostly hard-wired,” said the study’s senior
author, Dr. Rafael Yuste, a neuroscience professor at Columbia University.
“But then I saw the results and said ‘Holy moly, this whole thing is plastic.’
We’re dealing with a plastic computer that’s constantly learning and
changing.”

Is this quote being taken out of context or do many neuroscience researchers
really think the brain is some sort of static thing? Basic life experience
would seem to tell me that this isn't the case. I'm assuming they just mean
they haven't been able to observe this reprogramming ability, or do they
really think the brain is some sort of immutable object?

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kakarot
While there have been monumental breakthroughs in understanding, the core idea
of neuroplasticity is nothing new [1], and that quote certainly strikes me as
odd. It sounds like what a neuroscientiest would say if he were explaining the
concept of neuroplasticity to a toddler.

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroplasticity#History](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroplasticity#History)

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ivanca
As Wikipedia points out neuroplasticity is "an umbrella term that describes
lasting change to the brain throughout an individual's life course. "

This is about changing active neurons in matter of hours/days, without
necessarily being lasting, just induced ones.

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tweav
Even after several years of studying molecular biology, my mind is still blown
by something like "They injected the mouse with a virus containing light-
sensitive proteins engineered to reach specific brain cells." Just think of
how many people worked hard (and for how many years!) to make this possible.

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jarmitage
Maybe I'm tired but where is the link to the study? It's their own PR
department!

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rch
Behind the usual Science paywall:

[http://science.sciencemag.org/content/353/6300/691](http://science.sciencemag.org/content/353/6300/691)

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pizza
Can be sci-hubbed for those without endowments to back their studies..

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hatmer
The military is already using it.
[https://hatmer.github.io/assets/documents/Document.pdf](https://hatmer.github.io/assets/documents/Document.pdf)

