Connectionists: Brain-like computing fanfare and big data fanfare

[james bower]

On Jan 27, 2014, at 11:16 AM, Dario Ringach <darioringach at me.com> wrote:

> 
> There is no doubt we are undergoing a revolution in terms of techniques in neuroscience.  The mere fact that these new tools allow for far improved dissection and control of neural circuits make the enterprise worth supporting in my view.  I suspect many of these methods will find their way to the clinic even before we fully understand the underlying circuitry.

of course they will, that is how they are being sold - but think about what that means???


> 
> It is equally undeniable that the BRAIN initiative lacks a theoretical skeleton. If tomorrow we find ourselves able to record the activity of every single neuron in a human brain, combined with structural EM data down to a single synapse, it is not remotely clear what would we do with such a dataset.
> 

precisely - so why do it?


> Aside from the scientific merits and weaknesses of the BRAIN initiative, we must also consider how such projects are presented to the public and the potential for disappointment we create.

fortunately (and unfortunately) , the public is already completely skeptical about our claims - and increasingly, I am sorry to say, view scientists as no more or less committed to good than businessman.  (at the same time that our university administrators are telling us to think like businessmen - another subject).

I spend a lot of time interacting with children regarding their perception of science - it is remarkable what they say.

But ‘we’ are absolute saints compared to what others are doing with ‘neuro-marketing’.

Here is an article just sent to me this morning from the gaming and learning side of my life for those interested.

http://bigthink.com/neurobonkers/its-time-for-teachers-to-wake-up-to-neuromyths


Neuromythology is everywhere and getting worse - 


>  We must be extremely careful not to set up unrealistic short-term expectations.  Instead, we ought to grab this opportunity to educate, convey our fascination with the problem, how tremendously difficult it is, and what we stand to gain if we truly were to understand how the brain works.  

Unfortunately, if the core is rotten hard to make the outside golden.  As we have been discussing - the BRAIN initiative is seriously flawed (and NOT because it left out the money hungry MRI community).

It is scientifically flawed - but, as we have been discussing, IMHO reflects the actual state of neuroscience research.

Unfortunately

Jim



> 
> —
> Dario
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dario Ringach, PhD
> 
> Professor of Neurobiology and Psychology
> Jules Stein Eye Institute
> David Geffen School of Medicine
> University of California, Los Angeles
> 
> dario at ucla.edu | http://ringachlab.net
> 

 

 

Dr. James M. Bower Ph.D.

Professor of Computational Neurobiology

Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies.

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