Does the human brain process memory like a computer processes information?
What enables human language with all its nuances and complexities?
How does flexibility in the brain give rise to learning?
These were just a few of the questions explored at Big Ideas in Cognitive Neuroscience, a special session at this year’s CNS meeting in San Francisco to explore foundational topics and critical challenges in the field. Three pairs of speakers tackled three big themes:
- Memory: Charles R. Gallistel (Rutgers University) and Tomás Ryan (Trinity College Dublin & MIT)
- Language: Angela Friederici (Max-Planck-Institute) and Jean-Rémi King (NYU)
- Action: John Krakauer (Johns Hopkins University) and Danielle Bassett (University of Pennsylvania)
Watch their talks here (will play all 6 talks back-to-back):
Some highlights:
Giving new meaning to full house #cns2017 pic.twitter.com/swD0q9cl85
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
At the Big Ideas in Cognitive Neuroscience session at #CNS2017. Where we are going? What are we doing and why is it important?
— Keith Doelling (@KeithD11) March 25, 2017
Memory-
First up is What Memory Must Look Like with Randy Gallistel #CNS2017 #BigIdeasinCogNeuro
— Keith Doelling (@KeithD11) March 25, 2017
Randy Gallistel: What justification is there for assuming the brain is different than other information processing devices? #cns2017
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
“emergent property” for me is code for “we don’t know”. -Charles Gallistel at #cns2017 on signaling in the brain.
— Anna Vlasits (@AnnaIntegrated) March 25, 2017
Gallistel: “Memory must look like a gene that experience can write to” – at least easy to carry information with a specifiable code #cns2017
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
Thomas Ryan will now give his talk about Big Ideas in Cog Neuroscience of Memory #cns2017
— Nikola Vukovic (@vukovicnikola) March 25, 2017
Tomas Ryan countering on big ideas in memory
“We can agree that we don’t know very much about how memory is stored” #cns2017— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
Ryan: the kind of info the brain uses is quite different from Shannon information, I.e. different from a computer #cns2017
— Nikola Vukovic (@vukovicnikola) March 25, 2017
T Ryan: The brain has been evolving at a molecular and circuit level and hodge podging its way through the world surviving #cns2017
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
Language-
Angela Friederici on language as a human trait at #cns2017 pic.twitter.com/Mi7OYmy3DK
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
Friederici: Fiber tracts connect Broca’s and Wenicke’s areas – two key regions of the language network. #cns2017
— Nikola Vukovic (@vukovicnikola) March 25, 2017
Friederici: maturation of the dorsal pathway between Broca and Wernicke areas is essential for processing complex syntax #cns2017
— Nikola Vukovic (@vukovicnikola) March 25, 2017
A Friederici: Structural differences in neural language network depending on native language – tested in English, German, Chinese #cns2017
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
Jean Remi King gives his perspective on Big Ideas in language neuroscience #cns2017
— Nikola Vukovic (@vukovicnikola) March 25, 2017
.@jrking0 on challenges in understanding sentences differently in language research #cns2017 pic.twitter.com/Rb5EG6YTMP
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
King uses MEG machine learning to distinguish between sustained, feedforward, and recurrent algorithms/architectures in the brain #cns2017
— Nikola Vukovic (@vukovicnikola) March 25, 2017
Motor/action-
.@DaniBassett on different ways to think about neural signatures of learning #cns2017 pic.twitter.com/Ctoo6a3ulv
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
Danielle Bassett searches for modularity of the mind using network analyses #cns2017 #bigideasincogneuro
— Keith Doelling (@KeithD11) March 25, 2017
.@danibassett: interesting on individual differences in brain flexibility- positive mood-> more flexible, more fatigue-> less #cns2017
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
John Krakauer (@blamlab): Nervous system evolved to move and everything else is a footnote #cns2017
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
Krakauer says we don’t have a model for how practice makes us a better. Maybe we just need 10000 more hours to study it… #cns2017
— Keith Doelling (@KeithD11) March 25, 2017
.@blamlab: time to get good at tennis or ballet is same as chess or math. Needt bridge to higher skills #cns2017 pic.twitter.com/GWT396vavk
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
That’s a wrap!
Fantastic session on big ideas in cognitive neuroscience at #cns2017 – mental nourishment for months
— Joe Bathelt (@JoeBathelt) March 25, 2017
-Lisa M.P. Munoz
