Hess and Markram didn't invent topological analysis of neuronal networks. They are not mapping the brain. This is a fluff piece that didn't bother to check with

Hess and Markram didn't invent topological analysis of neuronal networks. They are not mapping the brain. This is a fluff piece that didn't bother to check with anyone else in the field if this paper is as groundbreaking as it's being presented, which is the absolute minimum of journalistic rigor. The claim this ended up in Frontiers because no one else in neuro theory has heard of algebraic topology is laughable. e: To be clear, I don't think this rises to the level of "Sokal hoax" -- it looks like an interesting result. I also have an interest in the role massive simulation can play in discovery. But to misrepresent topological analysis as an entirely novel approach or package it with phys.org-press-release nonsense like "mapping the brain in 11 dimensions" is both a disservice to the rich field on which it's building and adds noise to public communication about neuroscience, which is already plagued with bullshit.