Gamma Synchrony and consciousness

Stuart Hameroff talks about the definition of consciousness, relating to gamma  synchrony, EEG spikes, quantum computing and other hot topics in the study of conscious experience.

Written by admin on November 21st, 2007 with 3 comments.
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Brain Art, and art generated by Neural Networks and simulated cells

The brain is one of the most enigmatic and mysterious objects in the known universe. It is an organ of thought, abstraction and the subjective experience. It talks to itself, and influences itself. It alters the world and the environment, while constantly adapting to change. It is the seat of identity, emotion, memory and, some would say, the soul.

So, it is not surprising that artists find such inspiration in our gray, 3 pound friend. What could make a better artistic subject: it won’t fidget, and everyone has intimate experience with it.

PsicoCafé has compiled a large number of brain-related pictures into a gallery on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27109911@N00/

Here are some of my favorites:

On the subject of brain art, Jonathan McCabe, an engineer and digital artist, has been exploring the use of neural networks and other computer simulations to generate art. This has produced some absolutely fascinating works.

A neural network is kind of a small, virtual brain. Here is how McCabe explains it:

Each image is essentially a visualisation of the output state of a small neural network. The X and Y coordinates correspond to two variables in the connections of the network; the colour of the pixel at that point is a representation of the network’s behaviour for those parameters. So the image is a map of system states; coherent colours show areas of relative stability or gradual change; edges show sharp jumps in the output; marbled swirls show complex oscillations.

This is the result of one network, which McCabe calls “Nervous States”:

McCabe has also engineered a virtual network of cells to do the same. Notice how organic the results look, as if it were taken from an actual microscope:

Written by admin on February 27th, 2007 with no comments.
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Music-induced schizophrenia, the neurology of sound and a kind of musical Turing Test

A fascinating show from New York Public Radio delves into some fundamental questions about music, through the lens of neurology. How does it differ from language? What makes music pleasant or unpleasant? How are auditory illusions formed in the brain? And, possibly the most important question - how is sound associated with emotions?

In my previous post I mentioned Schizophrenia. Well in this show it is theorized that a piece of music in the early 1900′s actually caused an audience to become temporarily schizophrenic. The music was so dissonant, unexpected and unfamiliar that it caused a flood of dopamine (linked to schizophrenia) - after which, of course, they rioted!

Also featured is a computer program that is used to capture the patterns of musical composers to create entirely original music along the same vein. It is so good that it can apparently fool even the experts into thinking new music from long dead composers had been discovered. A number of selections were played, patterned from musicians I’m familiar with – and I must say, I was blown away.

The pattern-based computer program is particularly interesting to me. I wonder how long it will be before a program is able to emulate a well known personality. Say, a public figure, whose numerous speeches, interviews, writing and appearances can be analyzed for patterns, such that we could resurrect, in a fashion, long dead personalities. Would it finally pass the famous Turing Test?

You can listen to the entire show, here.

Written by admin on December 8th, 2006 with 2 comments.
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