Neurobiology Notes

Neurobiology Notes explores advancements in neuroscience focusing on brain preservation, neuroimaging techniques, neural connectivity, and memory encoding. It discusses innovative research methods, ethical considerations in brain banking, and the genetic basis of neurological and psychiatric conditions. The blog also covers technological progress in brain mapping and preservation strategies aimed at future revival possibilities.

Brain Preservation Neuroimaging Techniques Neural Connectivity Memory Encoding Brain Banking Ethics Genetics of Neurological Conditions Technological Advances in Neuroscience Preservation Strategy and Techniques

The hottest Substack posts of Neurobiology Notes

And their main takeaways

The statistician's credo

0 implied HN points • 30 Aug 08
  1. Mathematics is the language of nature and patterns are everywhere in nature.
  2. Sometimes a simple model works better than a complex model in statistics.
  3. Statisticians can also be romantic in their approach to modeling data.

How magic informs neuroscience

0 implied HN points • 24 Aug 08
  1. Neuroscientists can learn from the principles of stage magic for their experiments.
  2. Attention to detail and surprise play crucial roles in how our brain processes information.
  3. Repetition and novelty impact how we perceive and remember things.

Linking pre-saccadic to post-saccadic stimuli in the visual field

0 implied HN points • 20 Aug 08
  1. Saccadic eye motion helps us focus better on a visual scene.
  2. Our visual system compensates for saccades, resulting in changing visual fields and altered perception of stimuli.
  3. Experiments show that visual discrimination is strongest when stimuli are near the target of a saccade.

Analyzing personality based on writing style

0 implied HN points • 04 Aug 08
  1. Analyzing personality based on writing style can be done by looking at factors like adjectives, exclamation marks, and sentence length.
  2. Low cost for consumers as they can use their existing writing data for analysis.
  3. Comparing writing samples to personality tests through machine learning could provide insight into personalities.

Network brain modeling of fMRI

0 implied HN points • 06 Jun 08
  1. Analyzing brain imaging data faces challenges due to variance between subjects.
  2. Three dynamic Bayesian network strategies were compared for modeling brain connections.
  3. Researchers found that individual subject approach was effective in analyzing Parkinson's patients.
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Evolutionary psychology is fruitless without neuroscience

0 implied HN points • 30 Apr 08
  1. Evolutionary psychology claims should adhere to scientific standards.
  2. Human brain-based behavior changes may not only be due to natural selection.
  3. HPA axis plays a role in regulating social interactions in animals.

A few thoughts on Shelfari

0 implied HN points • 10 Apr 08
  1. Shelfari is a good tool for tracking the books you've read.
  2. Shelfari should consider changing its rating system from 5 stars to 10 stars, like IMDb.
  3. Shelfari can improve its interface to compete better with other book tracking platforms.

Andy sets a new world record; everyone is amazed, the crowd goes wild

0 implied HN points • 08 Jan 08
  1. Andy set a new world record for fastest travel time from Hawthorne Avenue to Noyes House of Vassar College.
  2. Andy thanked the California Highway Patrol and many strangers for helping him achieve the record.
  3. Andy apologized to those he may have inconvenienced during his fast journey.

Grand Theft Cinema

0 implied HN points • 20 Feb 07
  1. Movie heroes should not steal innocent civilians' cars.
  2. If you're a bad guy in a movie, stealing cars is part of the role.
  3. Stealing random people's cars is unacceptable behavior for anyone, even in movies.

My Contribution to Humanity

0 implied HN points • 11 Jan 07
  1. Having unique ideas and not giving up on them can lead to innovative contributions
  2. Creative thinking can break boundaries and challenge conventional norms
  3. Persistence and belief in your unconventional ideas can result in significant impact

Directly controlling a functionless arm with cortical neurons

0 implied HN points • 21 Oct 08
  1. Quadriplegic patients can potentially regain movement by connecting an interface to neural populations.
  2. Monkeys were able to gain control of firing neuron cells for specified motions with operant conditioning.
  3. Creating direct connections between individual cells and muscles may be a promising approach for restoring motor control in paralyzed patients.

Non-Great Depression parallels to the current financial crisis

0 implied HN points • 28 Oct 08
  1. The author discusses non-Great Depression parallels to the current financial crisis.
  2. Drawing too many comparisons to the Great Depression may not be wise as it is just one data point.
  3. History shows it's risky to take actions based on overinflated expectations.

Spending our time in worlds that don't exist

0 implied HN points • 25 Oct 08
  1. We spend a lot of time engaging with fictional worlds through activities like reading novels and watching movies.
  2. Modern society offers more opportunities to immerse ourselves in unreal worlds compared to the past.
  3. There are discussions on how society can address the trend of spending more time in fictional worlds without intruding on individual privacy.

In Praise Of The Obvious

0 implied HN points • 13 Feb 11
  1. The counter-intuitive is often overrated in society.
  2. Valuing obvious solutions can lead to better understanding and communication.
  3. Encouraging traits like formality and diligence can lead to more obvious and practical ideas.

Squirrel Uniqueness

0 implied HN points • 18 Feb 11
  1. Study shows link between social group size in squirrels and individuality in alarm calls
  2. Humans may have a strong drive towards uniqueness due to being highly social animals
  3. Desire for expressing personal opinions is likely an evolved tendency

Kobe In Crunch Time: Efficiency vs Predictability

0 implied HN points • 29 Jan 11
  1. Kobe Bryant is known for his ability to make the last shot, but defenses adjust for this by double-teaming and being aware of his movements.
  2. Kobe should consider passing to teammates more in crunch time to keep the defense guessing and to create better opportunities for the team.
  3. Having a mixed strategy in crunch time, where there is a balance between shooting and passing, is crucial to outsmarting the opposing team.

Towards A More Risk Loving imdb

0 implied HN points • 29 Jan 11
  1. The true rating of a movie may be biased due to various factors like conditions during viewing, so it's important to adjust ratings down towards the average.
  2. Deciding how much to adjust a movie rating based on sample size is subjective and depends on personal risk tolerance.
  3. Proposing that users should have the freedom to choose their own scaling parameter for movie ratings to avoid biases in the current system.

In vivo optogenetics in C. elegans

0 implied HN points • 29 Jan 11
  1. Studies used optogenetics in free-moving C. elegans, tracking their movement accurately
  2. Different systems demonstrated precise control by targeting specific neurons and cells with light sources
  3. Advancements suggest a future model of C. elegans nervous system is on the horizon

Why Nature Didn't Choose Arsenic

0 implied HN points • 05 Dec 10
  1. Phosphates are preferred in biological systems due to their resistance to hydrolysis and ability to act as leaving groups for enzymatic reactions.
  2. Arsenic esters are not suitable for genetic materials because they are rapidly hydrolyzed in water, making them poor linkers for DNA and RNA bases.
  3. The possibility of a bacterium surviving without phosphates challenges concepts about the flexibility of reaction rates in physiological systems.

Being Skeptical Of Your Skepticism

0 implied HN points • 24 Oct 10
  1. Don't discount everything an author claims just because of one mistake.
  2. We tend to categorize people as either completely truthful or totally dishonest, but reality is more complex.
  3. It's important to be aware of our own biases when judging others' claims.

Who voted for Hitler?

0 implied HN points • 16 Oct 08
  1. Democratic voting can lead to undemocratic results, like with Hitler's party.
  2. Voter actions in Weimar elections were driven by economic self-interest.
  3. Support for racist policies can be rationalized if perceived to benefit economic interests.

The top 11 poems of all time

0 implied HN points • 15 Oct 08
  1. Famous poems can come from different time periods, not just modern times.
  2. The best poems are likely to be excellent, regardless of personal preferences.
  3. An economist determined the top poems by counting how often they appeared in major anthologies.

Save The Social Animals

0 implied HN points • 29 Mar 10
  1. Save social animals to reduce their suffering.
  2. Consider policy implications to prioritize saving social animals over others.
  3. Focus on curbing suffering of animals in nature based on utilitarian perspectives.

Book Notes Investigative Pathways

0 implied HN points • 21 Mar 10
  1. Don't be afraid to tackle big, unsolved problems in science by doing many experiments.
  2. Surrounding oneself with individuals of exceptional ability can help maintain a high standard of research.
  3. Maintaining a disciplined schedule, staying curious, and managing multiple projects can lead to scientific success.

Rating Interceptions Probabilistically

0 implied HN points • 17 Mar 10
  1. It's important to consider the role of luck in sports outcomes.
  2. Using a continuous rating system can provide more detailed information than binary stats.
  3. Quantifying expected value measures can lead to more reliable player performance analysis.

The Dark Side Of Altruism

0 implied HN points • 16 Mar 10
  1. Altruistic acts often benefit one's own in-group more than others.
  2. The 'dark side' of altruism can be seen in extreme examples like suicide bombing.
  3. Altruism can be dangerous without considering cosmopolitanism, and preference utilitarianism may provide a more balanced perspective.

The Internet Echo Chamber?

0 implied HN points • 11 Jan 10
  1. In online environments, people's decisions are influenced by both social trends and personal preferences.
  2. Around 25-70% of people's decisions are based on the inherent appeal of the content.
  3. Being aware of popular trends can provide useful information, but may not always reflect individual preferences accurately.

Why have free throw percentages remained constant?

0 implied HN points • 07 Mar 09
  1. Free throw percentages in the NBA have remained around 75% for the past 50 years.
  2. NBA teams often prioritize size and athleticism over free throw shooting ability.
  3. The trend suggests that players may continue to get taller and stronger or free throw shooting may improve in the future.

The Rationality of a Shit List

0 implied HN points • 04 Mar 09
  1. Having a 'shit list' can help you focus your energy and push through complacency.
  2. A 'shit list' should be short and comprised of those who have wronged you personally.
  3. Humans have a desire to punish those who break social contracts, even when it may not be in their best self-interest.

Breaking down Pete Stark vs. Jan Henfeld

0 implied HN points • 16 Feb 09
  1. Pete Stark and Jan Henfeld had an intense interview about national debt.
  2. Henfeld challenged Stark on his views, leading to a heated argument.
  3. Stark, a Democratic congressman, ended the interview abruptly.

Sleep and RSS Feed Data, Past Month

0 implied HN points • 12 Feb 09
  1. The author discusses their sleep patterns and RSS feed activity over the past month.
  2. There was a spike in RSS feed activity one day, possibly due to browsing headlines.
  3. The author's sleep duration varies but typically averages around 7-8 hours per night.

Humans are...

0 implied HN points • 08 Feb 09
  1. Some suggested Google searches for 'Humans are...' include: Humans are mammals, Humans are omnivores, and Humans are social animals.
  2. Being social animals is a more straightforward explanation for human behavior compared to humans being inherently evil.
  3. It's interesting to see what Google suggests about humans when you start typing 'Humans are...'.

The Inner Fire of Joshua Waitzkin

0 implied HN points • 07 Feb 09
  1. Success is more about resilience and hard work than innate ability.
  2. True growth occurs when facing resistance, even though it can be challenging.
  3. Tasks become harder when they start feeling like work instead of a passion.

Describing the chemistry of the glutamate-glutamine cycle

0 implied HN points • 07 Feb 09
  1. Astrocytes play a major role in regulating the glutamate-glutamine cycle in the synapse.
  2. The conversion of glutamate to glutamine involves a four-step reaction, as described by Colanduoni et al, 1987.
  3. Carbon-13 NMR analysis by Shen et al, 1999, helped distinguish between glutamine labeling from the glial TCA cycle and the glutamate-glutamine cycle.

Would you play harder against a human than a computer?

0 implied HN points • 05 Feb 09
  1. Subjects played harder against humans than computers in a study.
  2. Brain activity differed when playing humans versus computers.
  3. The study suggests greater theory of mind use when playing against humans.

Russ Roberts, Robin Hanson EconTalk notes

0 implied HN points • 01 Feb 09
  1. Incentives in arguments could lead to more disagreement than truth-seeking.
  2. Being aware of your own biases is crucial to honest discourse.
  3. Promoting skepticism and statistical knowledge can help combat biases and false consensus.

Overpopulation of Urban Deer lecture notes

0 implied HN points • 28 Jan 09
  1. Overpopulation of urban deer causes biodiversity issues and deer-vehicle crashes.
  2. Man-made landscapes and lack of natural predators contribute to deer overpopulation.
  3. Suggested solutions for overpopulation include culling and learning archery for hunting deer.