Fred Wolf, MPI Göttingen

The Evolution of a Fluid Computing Machine

Since Zuse, Turing, and von Neumann developed the first man-made computing devices, these machines have perhaps seen about 100 generations of iterative improvement in the hands of smart engineers. Animal nervous systems, while subject to the blind tinkering of biological evolution, have seen millions of cycles of random modification and ruthless testing. In this process, brain architecture in large mammals including humans emerged through a sequence of key innovations: the invention of neocortex about 200 million years ago, its extraordinary expansion and the generation of deep processing hierarchies with the rise of modern mammals. I will first give an overview of these fundamental transformations and then discuss recent work combining mathematical theory, precision measurement of neocortical architecture and synthetic biology approaches to uncover the forces that drove brain architecture to an apparently unique and perhaps optimal design.

Additional Information

Symposium talk; registration is necessary

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BCCN Berlin