PSYC 174 Computational Neuroscience: Brain Engineering

Brain circuits are circuits. Just as we can write down what an iphone or a computer does, so we can derive candidate operations and algorithms that brain circuits may be carrying out.  Evidence suggests that brains are non-standard engineering devices: they have unusually low-precision synaptic connections, operating at speeds that are ridiculously slower than electronic circuits; yet brains are so good at some tasks, from face and voice recognition to language understanding, that the field of computer science now often imitates brains in order to rival their performance.  We will read papers relevant to disparate approaches to brain modeling, and discuss predominantly brain circuit approaches. The aim of the course will be to enhance understanding of the current literature and enable critical readings of it. Qualified undergraduates may take the course by permission of instructor.

Instructor

Granger