Cartographers of the Brain: Mapping the Connectome

Scientists are attempting to map the wiring of the nearly 100 billion neurons in the human brain. Are we close to uncovering the mysteries of the mind or are we only at the beginning of a new frontier?

PARTICIPANTS: Deanna Barch, Jeff Lichtman, Nim Tottenham, David Van Essen
MODERATOR: John Hockenberry
Original program date: JUNE 4, 2017

Imagine navigating the globe with a map that only sketched out the continents. That’s pretty much how neuroscientists have been operating for decades. But one of the most ambitious programs in all of neuroscience, the Human Connectome Project, has just yielded a “network map” that is shedding light on the intricate connectivity in the brain. Join leading neuroscientists and psychologists as they explore how the connectome promises to revolutionize treatments for psychiatric and neurological disorders, answer profound questions regarding the electrochemical roots of memory and behavior, and clarify the link between our upbringing and brain development.

This program is part of the Big Ideas Series, made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation.

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TOPICS:

- Mapping the Brain 00:00

- What is a connectome? 06:02

- Santiago Ramón y Cajal 10:18

- Is the brain signal electricity? 17:09

- Who inspired you to do this work? 25:56

- Brain development in youth 29:45

- Do the maps we have now help us explain the brain? 32:43

- A series of subtraction and progressive processes. 39:17

- What is a Von Neumann machine 46:08

- How can we develop new synapse responses in an adult brain? 50:45

[Jenkkimie]

A very interesting panel. I love that I get to experience this particular time in human history and our quest to scientific discovery. As a young Neuropsychology student I hope that one day might be able to contribute to this journey for discovery in some small way. A universe upon itself, Astronauts of our own kind as I say.

[ChristianSt]

this was really quality neuroscience. thank you!

[breathlessMay]

This talk made me infinitely happy. thank you to all the panelists, the moderator and all who made this happen :)

[gnagyusa]

Brilliant scientists and excellent moderator. One of the best I've seen. He's really well versed in the subject and clearly did his homework.

[jdt]

This is way better than a Fox News Panel. I wish 2 million viewers would watch this nightly.

[anthonycannella]

Excellent conversation all around. Expert panel, incredible host, exciting information, and a bang of humor at the end.

[alienrs]

Finally an upload a wonderful discussion but i felt like they barely scratched the surface would love to learn more

[sunitapalissery]

What a wonderful session. Happy to note that we can continue to learn life long.

[darodarius]

I will definitely listen more to what Jeff lichtman has to say about the brain. His vocabulary is extremely rich and he knows his stuff very well.

[danachos]

Oh I love this moderator! They are amazing and engaging!

[theelonz]

Can’t believe my brianwave has made it to this lecture. Thanks 🙏 WSF Thanks YouTube thank you Humanity

[nlpchannel]

Brilliant presentation, incredible we are still operating out of a 100 year old map... Where is the MIND in the brain/body?

[moiquiregardevideo]

After learning two or three languages, is it easier to learn the next one? Yes if all the languages you learn are related.
For example, after german and dutch, it is easy to learn swedish then danish.
I made a personal challenge to learn languages which have no common origin:
Russian, japanese, chinese, inuktitut, vietnamese to name a few. After feeling to trail behind most people for years, came a time where i realised that i was alone in the race, all the competitors slowed down and i am alone at the finish line.

[rockapedra]

Excellent interviewer! Excellent guests!

[ferkinskin]

Brilliant. Thank you and the speakers.

[petermiesler]

44:06 Freewill. Excellent observations.

[MeMyselfAndBob]

Remark: at timeframe 2:57-3:02, two quadrillion is not 2, 000, 000, 000, 000 (that's two trillion) but 1000 times larger: 2, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000.

[ethanbrown]

"Brainbow" is a great name, but "brainting" was a close runner up

[timn]

imagine that in 200 years we will all have live in humanoid robots who we need to care for from the day they get plugged in.

[AnneAndersonFoxiepaws]

It's like a road map then with the different types of connection being like different roads, from motorways to farm tracks and waterways (rivers, canals, brooks and streams...I think if you look at it like a world map with all the roads, waterways and shipping lanes it would be easier to envisage).