4 ms·

New imagery shows brain neurons are arranged in 2D sheets

62 points by obtu 15y ago

rmundo 15y ago
So it's true what they say about the fabric of the mind. Consider mine blown!
obtu 15y ago
The article hasn't been liberated yet, but here's the abstract: https://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6076/1628.abstract https://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6076/1628.abstract A bit more on diffusion imaging, though you'll have to hit google scholar to find more up-to-date information on the signal processing: http://www.metafilter.com/114373/What-a-beautiful-mind-you-have#4268116 http://www.metafilter.com/114373/What-a-beautiful-mind-you-h... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_MRI https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_MRI https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tractography https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tractography
username3 15y ago
Intelligent Design
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
nullflux 15y ago
So all this time Cray has been doing it right: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cray-3_processor_brick.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cray-3_processor_brick.jpg
tocomment 15y ago
Does anyone know what they mean by a "grid"? Different neurons can have different numbers of connections and they connect all over the place, not just to their immediate neighbors. I read and reread the first page of this paper and I can't figure out what they're saying. What's new here?
- nooneelse 15y ago
  I'm no domain expert, but I think by talking about individual neurons your comment is focused a bit too spatially small. The pathways described in the paper involve numerous axons hooking up widely separated neuron sets. I.e. for a computer analogy, this isn't showing the scale of internal wiring for a chip, or even cables on the scale of hooking the motherboard to a hdd. It is showing the wiring on the scale of 'from one rack in a sever room to another across the room'. Or, for a highway analogy, not the housing subdivisions, more the freeways. I just got answered over on reddit by someone who did a thesis on tractography; they seem to be open to more questions: http://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/rl1y7/diffusion_spectrum_imaging_reveals_an_orderly/c46qbdg http://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/rl1y7/diffusion_spe...
Someone 15y ago
Supplemental data at http://www.sciencemag.org/content/suppl/2012/03/28/335.6076.1628.DC1/Wedeen-SOM.pdf http://www.sciencemag.org/content/suppl/2012/03/28/335.6076.... I haven't completely read it, but that data looks more noisy than that medical express link. That makes me trust it more. I (did?) wonder whether Science would do April fool's jokes, or whether the authors made a deal to do so, with the article itself being real.
ilaksh 15y ago
Sounds like what this guy was talking about a little. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48r-IeYOvG4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48r-IeYOvG4

62 points by obtu 15y ago

So it's true what they say about the fabric of the mind. Consider mine blown!

obtu 15y ago

The article hasn't been liberated yet, but here's the abstract: https://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6076/1628.abstract https://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6076/1628.abstract A bit more on diffusion imaging, though you'll have to hit google scholar to find more up-to-date information on the signal processing: http://www.metafilter.com/114373/What-a-beautiful-mind-you-have#4268116 http://www.metafilter.com/114373/What-a-beautiful-mind-you-h... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_MRI https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_MRI https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tractography https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tractography

username3 15y ago

Intelligent Design

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

nullflux 15y ago

So all this time Cray has been doing it right: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cray-3_processor_brick.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cray-3_processor_brick.jpg

tocomment 15y ago

Does anyone know what they mean by a "grid"? Different neurons can have different numbers of connections and they connect all over the place, not just to their immediate neighbors. I read and reread the first page of this paper and I can't figure out what they're saying. What's new here?

nooneelse 15y ago
I'm no domain expert, but I think by talking about individual neurons your comment is focused a bit too spatially small. The pathways described in the paper involve numerous axons hooking up widely separated neuron sets. I.e. for a computer analogy, this isn't showing the scale of internal wiring for a chip, or even cables on the scale of hooking the motherboard to a hdd. It is showing the wiring on the scale of 'from one rack in a sever room to another across the room'. Or, for a highway analogy, not the housing subdivisions, more the freeways. I just got answered over on reddit by someone who did a thesis on tractography; they seem to be open to more questions: http://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/rl1y7/diffusion_spectrum_imaging_reveals_an_orderly/c46qbdg http://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/rl1y7/diffusion_spe...

Someone 15y ago

Supplemental data at http://www.sciencemag.org/content/suppl/2012/03/28/335.6076.1628.DC1/Wedeen-SOM.pdf http://www.sciencemag.org/content/suppl/2012/03/28/335.6076.... I haven't completely read it, but that data looks more noisy than that medical express link. That makes me trust it more. I (did?) wonder whether Science would do April fool's jokes, or whether the authors made a deal to do so, with the article itself being real.

ilaksh 15y ago

Sounds like what this guy was talking about a little. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48r-IeYOvG4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48r-IeYOvG4